TERRORISM REPLACES POLITICS

Explosive Devices on the Streets of Podgorica

Three violent explosions in Podgorica and the burning of haystack in Berane are terrorist actions which represent a culmination of political divisions in Montenegro. Have these actions been committed by individual party fanatics, free-shooters intoxicated by hate or perhaps by terrorist organizations?

AIM Podgorica, January 28, 1998

Explosions are echoing throughout Montenegro. Some ten days after the failed putsch of the former president Momir Bulatovic, a wave of terrorist actions has swept over this republic. On Saturday Podgorica resembled Belfast: within two hours two cars were blown up. Some days later, at dawn there was another explosion in the city center: dynamite was planted under the car of a high official of the secret service. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

In the early morning of January 24, at 5,45 a.m. an explosive device was activated in the centre of Podgorica from under the service car of Veselin Veljkovic, commander of the Special Unit of the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior. A violent explosion totally demolished the car. Two hours earlier the car of Smiljana Djuricic, a denizen of Podgorica, was also blown up. Two charges of explosive planted under her car seriously damaged her car also causing some lesser damage on the neighbouring building. Five days later, on January 28, at five in the morning an explosive device was planted under the service car of Darko Raspopovic, one of the chiefs of the State Security Service. According to information, the police has tracked down the perpetrator, and two persons have already been arrested.

Veselin Veljovic, commanding officer of the Special Unit, has become famous after forestalling Bulatovic's putsch. In the night between January 14 and 15, he was in charge of the Montenegrin MUP special units. That is why Djukanovic's backers honour Veljovic as a hero, while Bulatovic's party fanatics see him as an enemy. Darko Raspopovic is the Head of a Secret Police Department and the right hand of Vukasin Maras, Chief of Montenegrin National Security Service. Those well-versed claim that during Bulatovic's putsch he did a great job.

Regarding this "activation of explosive devices" the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior, issued the usual statement without going into the political background, while a pro-government daily "The Pobijeda" pointed to the political background of these explosions stating that "there are indications that two of these explosions might represent a beginning of sabotaging actions which are just a continuation of political conflicts in Montenegro".

That a wave of demolition raids with a flare of terrorism has truly began on the territory of this smaller unit of the present Yugoslavia was confirmed by a "political" pyromaniac from Berane who set fire to his neighbour's haystack, just in front of his family home. The setting of hay on fire carries a particular weight in Montenegro: in that way the master of the house gets a message that he is unwanted and at a risk of losing his life. The perpetrator was apprehended immediately and according to his own confession his reasons were political - he is a Bulatovic's sympathizer and the son of his neighbour is the head of Djukanovic's party in that town.

The extent to which the rift in the top state echelons has permeated the grassroots is best seen in the example of prosecutors from Berane. There is a story going around Montenegrin judiciary that some prosecutors from the Basic Prosecutor's Office in that town, abiding by the rule of political solidarity, did not institute criminal proceedings against or detained Vlajko Zekovic. This was done only after the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office from Bijelo Polje intervened.

Three violent explosions in Podgorica and the fire set in Berane show that political divisions in Montenegro have reached their peak in terrorist actions. Have these actions been committed by individual party fanatics, free-shooters intoxicated by hate or by terrorist organizations?

For the time being no one has assumed responsibility the terrorist actions committed all over Montenegro. Bulatovic's political group denies any connection with the planting of explosives under the police car.

"We demand publication of the results of police investigation on the blasting of the car of a high police official. Until such time our party will consider this to be just another transparent action by which the police regime of Mr.Djukanovic, in the absence of political means, is trying to justify the continuation of police repression", said the statement of Mr.Bulatovic's party Deputy Club. This statement did not offer any comment on the fire set in Berane and Zekovic's arrest.

For the time being there is no information on any secret political association, resistance movement or terrorist organization operating in Montenegro. It is indicative that already last November at a protest rally of Bulatovic's followers organized in Budva on the occasion of the removal of the local Mayor, Stanko Gigovic, chief of the local party board called upon those present to go even further, in other words, "in agreement with the 'Main Board' and the 'Montenegrin Resistance Movement' the Podgorica gathering dedicated to justice and peace". Asked by the delegates of the Republican Assembly to explain what kind of "Montenegrin Resistance Movement" was in question, Bulatovic's deputy did not offer any answer.

Probably on the basis of field data, the Montenegrin President, Milo Djukanovic, publicly called Mr.Bulatovic's party "a terrorist organization". Still, several days later his party signed a political treaty with that organization.

That is why the "hawks" within Djukanovic's political stream are dissatisfied. According to them there are too many terrorist actions in Montenegro and all of them are linked to "the work and image" of Momir Bulatovic. According to them, the attempted putsch and violent taking over of the building of the Government of Montenegro, throwing of a bomb on the police, the attempt to take the building of TV Montenegro and the capturing of the TV centre in Bijelo Polje are classical examples of political terrorism.

If terrorism is "a political fight by means of individual terror" then the blasting of cars of high police officials, as well as planting of fire perfectly fit into this definition.

For the time being the Montenegrin judiciary is silent. Several months ago, just before the presidential elections, the Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against a group of eleven men from Serbia with a qualification of terrorism as they were infiltrated into Montenegro to aid Bulatovic's electoral campaign. The Prosecutor's Office reacted by charging the "guests" from Serbia for terrorism. However, the investigative judge acquitted the suspects!

It is evident that the purpose of planting of explosives and arson is to spread fear and anxiety among the population. Directors of this special war which, according to Filip Vujanovic, Minister of the Police, is waged against Montenegro, is to trap Djukanovic. The objective is to provoke an uncontrolled witch-hunt against political opponents whereby, if he does that, his newly acquired image of a reformer and a pro-West oriented politician, would be ruined and consequently he would loose the support of great powers and democratic forces in Montenegro.

President Djukanovic is monitoring the situation and, it seems, is well aware what this is all about, although he has no firm proof. Therefore, the President can do nothing else but minimize the effects of terrorist actions in Montenegro through his state apparatus. But, this can last only as long as no lives are lost.

Seki RADONCIC

(AIM Podgorica)