Bulgaria Supports NATO Strikes Against Yugoslavia

Government Threatens with Witch Hunts

AIM Sofia, 2 April, 1999

Minister of internal affairs of Bulgaria Bogomil Bonev threatened that court proceedings would be instigated against journalists and politicians who were spreading rumours which could stir up negative disposition against Bulgaria in war-stricken Yugoslavia. The specific person this was addressed to was the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Georgi Prvanov who put the question in the parliament whether Bulgaria had approved flights of NATO air-planes in the air-corridor of Bulgaria.

"Anybody who is engaged in spreading lies that we have approved the air corridor or in any way attacked Yugoslavia, that we have taken hostile action against Yugoslavia, shall come under the jurisdiction of the criminal law which prescribes 5 to 15 years in prison for treachery of national interests", declared Bonev. The minister underlined that apart from the politicians this threat referred to journalists who gave rise to aggressive behavior of Yugoslavia against Bulgaria.

What has made the minister so angry to openly threaten the leader of the political party which ranks second in size in the parliament? Prvanov accused the government that it had approved flights of NATO air-planes in the air-corridor of Bulgaria without agreement of the parliament which is the only one that was entitled to do it. In answer to this prime minister Kostov declared that Bulgaria had never put its air space at the disposal of NATO and accused the leader of the Socialists that he could become the originator of deterioration of relations with Yugoslavia. The scandal broke out after the statement of TANJUG (Yugoslav state press agency) that NATO air-planes had attacked Serbia from the direction of Bulgaria. The information was also quoted by Bulgarian private radio station called Darik, but the general staff of Bulgarian army resolutely denied it.

"One of us is a lier - either I, or the prime minister, or Solana", declared Prvanov and appealed that correspondence between Bulgarian government and main seat of NATO since October last year be made public. Having received the request from Brussels, the national security consultative council of the president of this country which gathers leaders of all parties represented in the parliament, reached a conclusion that this was a question of jurisdiction of the parliament and that permits would be issued for each specific case. In October, the request referred to permits for NATO planes to fly in the air space of Bulgaria towards the bases in Turkey, returning from operations in Yugoslavia. According to the Socialists, however, the government sent quite a different information to Brussels, since after that in a letter to prime minister Kostov, Solana thanked Bulgaria for the approved use of its air-space. "As you can see, with this decision, the government ignored Bulgarian parliament", declared Prvanov.

A few hours later, counter-intelligence service and ministry of internal affairs appeared with official warnings that spreading lies about approved use of the air corridor of Bulgaria was a provocation against the state and that their authors could be taken to court. The two government departments warned all the citizens to refrain from provoking anti-Bulgarian disposition in Yugoslavia. "We are very grateful to Bulgaria for the offered air space", declared on the occasion NATO spokesman Jamie Shea at the press conference in Brussels. However, government press service made it clear that this referred to the peace operation called "Joint Garden" in case Belgrade signed a peace agreement.

The scandal with the air-corridor for NATO planes was just one in a series of such scandals between the ruling League of Democratic Forces (SDS) and the Socialists on the crisis in Kosovo. Prime minister Kostov stated in the parliament the conclusion of the government that a pro-Serb campaign had been launched aimed to discredit foreign policy of Bulgaria. According to his words, many facts indicate that the declarations disseminated in "support of the just Serb cause in Kosovo" were written in Yugoslav embassy. "The activity of Yugoslav embassy is enviable in organising protest demonstrations against foreign policy of our country. But I still do not blame them but those who are voluntarily accepting the role in this cheap scenario", declared Kostov, obviously having in mind the role of BSP in organising the anti-war protests. According to him, a man from the embassy is organising the gatherings in support of the Serb stand. Pressure was also exerted on the owner of the largest private television station, Nova televizija, Darko Tamindzic, to stop broadcasting anti-Serb material in news shows.

Ministries of defence and internal affairs warned that it was necessary to take great care not to provoke Yugoslavia by imprudent declarations. The ministry of defence and the general staff of Bulgarian army issue informations every day that there is is no immediate danger for the country and that NATO has not asked in any way for cooperation. Concerning TANJUG's information, ministry of defence explained that the two air-planes had flown north 5 kilometres from the border of Bulgaria. "NATO planes have not taken off from Bulgarian airports", declared head of the general staff Miho Mihov. Regardless of that, two military airports were put on the alert for reception of damaged planes in war operation in Yugoslavia.

Disagreements among politicians from different parties became evident already at the time of passing of the parliament declaration on air-strikes against Yugoslavia. At the initiative of president Stojanov, in that declaration Bulgaria expressed support to NATO operations. "Security of Bulgaria nowadays passes through NATO", declared head of the state and admitted that our military forces were lesser than that of our neighbours, with the exception of Macedonia. In the present economic circumstances when the "country is destroyed by a political class which has skilfully transferred national wealth into its own pockets", there is no other way for Bulgaria to protect its national security than through NATO, Stojanov says.

Bulgaria has declared that it would not participate in military operations in neighbouring Yugoslavia - either indirectly or directly, and appealed on Yugoslavia to sign the peace agreement. Deputies of BSP, however, demand that the parliament insist on NATO to stop with its air operations, to warn against the risk for the Balkan and to guarantee that it would not draw Bulgaria into the conflict. "Our position should be similar to that of Italy - non-interference, interruption of war operations and re-establishment of political dialogue", Prvanov declared. The ruling forces are against such stand at the moment.

Dimitri Filipov