Author: M Barbu

Mutiny in Serbia: How a State Security Unit’s Rebellion Went Unpunished

In November 2001, the Serbian State Security Service’s Special Operations Unit staged a mutiny and set up roadblocks. The failure to punish the instigators of the armed revolt would have deadly consequences for the country’s prime minister.

“The commander ordered that the Communication Centre will no longer receive calls,” said a note entered at 5.10pm on November 9, 2001 in the daily log of the Communication Centre in Kula, the headquarters of Serbia’s State Security Special Operations Unit, the JSO.

Bosniak Leader’s Sudden Death Creates Vacuum in Sandzak

The sudden death of Bosniak strongman Muamer Zukorlic has shocked the mainly Muslim region, which straddles Serbia and Montenegro, and where he left a unique mark.

One of the largest crowds that the town of Novi Pazar in southwest Serbia has ever seen gathered on Sunday to say farewell to Bosniak leader Muamer Zukorlic.

Viktor Orban’s Visit to Bosnian Serb Strongman Puzzles Observers

The Hungarian premier’s weekend meeting with Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik has triggered speculation about possible private business deals or secret negotiations about the fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Viktor Orban’s meeting with the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, on Saturday has continued to puzzle experts and trigger speculation among Hungarian and Bosnian officials about the motives for the Hungarian Prime Minister’s visit to the Balkan country.

Gruevski’s Carefree Days in Hungary Perhaps Nearing an End

A change in government in Hungary could spell the end of a comfortable exile for North Macedonia’s fugitive ex-prime minister, but extraditing Nikola Gruevski would take more than political will alone.

Afugitive from justice in his home country of North Macedonia, and a political asylum seeker in Hungary under the protection of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban: for the past three years, that’s been the life of former authoritarian prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who fled a jail sentence in North Macedonia in 2018.

Turkey’s Pragmatic Policy in the Balkans has its Limits

The Recent crisis in Bosnia has highlighted the adaptability – and limitations – of Turkish policy in the Balkans.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently hosted in Ankara Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, to discuss the political crisis in Bosnia triggered by Dodik’s threat to abandon state institutions. At the beginning of November, Bosnia’s Bosniak leader, Bakir Izetbegovic, visited Erdogan in Istanbul to address the same issue.

Russia Establishes Its Modus Operandi In Bosnia and Herzegovina – Analysis

The latest session of the UN Security Council only reaffirmed once again the crisis caused in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the actions of the Serb Member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik (SNSD) with the assistance of the Russian Federation. At the same time, no concrete solutions and conclusions were offered nor attempts made to prevent separatist actions aimed to annul the Dayton[2] peace agreement and destroy the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is a silent generally accepted opinion that “an armed conflict of low intensity is possible in BiH”, which is an indication that the strongest global powers have already developed their military plans as well. Once again, aconflict in BiH would be an international conflict- this time with the assistance of NATO and the Russian Federation. In fact, the prolongation of introduction of concrete measures that would provide for political elimination and criminal processing of Milorad Dodik and several of his “executors” is a proof of the seriousness of the situation. Bosnia and Herzegovina could become a new hotspot, which could endanger the security of entire Europe.

3 Killed in Suspected Turkish Drone Attack in NE Syria

Turkey is being accused by Kurdish security forces of carrying out a drone attack Tuesday in northeastern Syria that killed three civilians in a car.

The strike took place in Qamishli, a city on the Syria-Turkey border that is controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Military escalation | Regime soldier killed on Saraqib frontlines, while factions target regime military positions in Idlib, Aleppo and Latakia

SOHR activists have reported that a regime soldier was shot dead by rebel factions on Saraqib frontlines, east of Idlib city.

Meanwhile, opposition factions have shelled, with rockets, positions of regime forces in Telat al-Burkan in northern Latakia, al-Shaikh Uqail frontline, Ourom al-Soughra in western Aleppo, al-Dar al-Kabera frontline and al-Talheya village in Idlib countryside. However, no casualties have been reported yet.

Kurds Offer Damascus 75% of Syrian Oil

Syrian Kurds in the Northeast are prepared to offer 75% of the oil produced in their region to Damascus, as a gesture of goodwill, according to Asharq al-Awsat.

With the decrease of tension in northeastern Syria following “American assurances” to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), “tacit coordination” has emerged aimed at encouraging the Kurds to enter serious understandings with the Damascus regime, even when it comes to oil production.

Iraq’s Sadrist movement in talks on forming government

At a time when the Sadrist movement is seeking understandings with Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish parties to form a government, the forces rejecting the results of the elections are taking to the streets in protest against any Cabinet formation talks before the results issue is resolved.

Iraq’s Sadrist movement head Muqtada al-Sadr discussed on Nov. 5 his Cabinet formation with Victory Alliance head Haider al-Abadi during a rare visit by Sadr to the capital. This came after meeting with parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi and National Wisdom Movement head Ammar al-Hakim. Sadr had become accustomed to handling political issues and making decisions while at his residence in the Shiite town of al-Hanana, west of Najaf.