Sarajevo) - The Bosnian authorities have revoked the citizenship granted to 330 foreigners during the 1992-1995 Bosnian civil war, the president of Bosnia's ad hoc state commission, Vjekoslav Vukovic, said on Tuesday. The commission has in the past seven months examined over 900 cases with a further 500 still to be scrutinised before the commission winds up its work next month, Vukovic told Dnevni avaz daily. Foreigners from African, Asian and European countries have lost their Bosnian citizenship because they had breached immigration procedures, Vukovic stated.
Russians, Ukrainians, Moldavians and individuals from Switzerland, Sweden and European Union countries were among those who have lost their Bosnian citizenship, Vukovic said. He denied claims by some naturalised Bosnian citizens that they were being persecuted for political reasons. The authorities previously stated that those stripped of their Bosnian citizenship will be deported.
The government was forced to form the special commission for the revision of citizenship due to international pressure following intelligence reports that some mujahadeen from Muslim countries who fought on the side of local Muslims have remained in the country and may be linked to al-Qaeda and other Islamist terrorist organisations. Thousands of foreign fighers or 'mujahadeen' came to Bosnia during the civil war and many have remained in the country, marrying local women and acquiring Bosnian citizenship.
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Italy: Egypt-Born TV Presenter Blames Islamists For Arson Attack
9 Jan. 2007
An Egyptian-born television presenter in Italy, Mohammed Ahmad said Tuesday he believes "Islamist extremists" torched his car in an overnight attack. Ahmad told Adnkronos International (AKI) said he believes he was targeted for promoting moderate Islam. "It was two o'clock at night [on Monday] when a loud sound followed by police sirens woke me up. It was firefighters who has come to put out the blaze. That's when I understood that it was my car that was on fire." Ahmad said.
Ahmad, who became an Italian citizen more than 20 years ago, presents a programme on Padua-based private channel La8 dealing with immigration and cultural integration issues. "I believe it was Islamic extremists. In the past I have reported to the police certain individuals living in the area who are linked to Islamic extremism," said Ahmad adding that he had received threats from these people.
He added that another reason behind the attack could be because he invites "Jewish and Leghisti (members of Italy's anti-immigration Northerl League party) friends" to his programme on La8.
After news of the attack had emerged Ahmad received a message of support from a member of an Italian-government appointed advisory body on Muslim issues, the Consulta. Souad Sbai, who is also head of the Confederation of Moroccans in Italy condemned the attack and said it was "the reason why so many moderate Muslims don't want to appear on TV or at public demonstraions.
"They are afraid to appear because of the retaliation they may face," she said adding that as a Consulta member: "I call on Interior Minister Giuliano Amato to invervene in defence of the moderates to guarantee their freedom of expression."
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The Egyptian police stopped a group of 135 illegal immigrants from making the journey from the Egyptian coast to Italy crossing the Mediterranean. According to the Saudi newspaper al-Watan, Egyptian security sources said that the police on Monday said that 135 Egyptians, mainly young people, were attempting to make the journey to enter Italy illegally.
The illegal immigrants had made arrangements with a fisherman in an area on the Egyptian coast to make the journey with one of his fishing boats that was no longer in use. The police had been tipped off about the illegal immigrants and caught them as they were attempting to make the journey.
Most would-be immigrants attempting the perilous sea journey hail from North Africa to Europe, mainly choose the southern island of Sicily as their destination though the tiny island of Lampedusa, the first Italian territory to be reached by boats from Tunisia or Libya, is also a key destination.
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Afghanistan-Pakistan: End War Of Words And Fight The Taliban, Says U.N.
9 Jan.2007
A senior United Nations official in Afghanistan has called on the Afghan and Pakistani governments to end their mutual recriminations and cooperate in fighting the Taliban insurgency in the south of the war-torn country, saying it is being fuelled from both sides of the border and urging greater action against the rebellion in Pakistan itself.
SNIP:He stressed that of the 142 Taliban leaders mentioned in Security Council Resolution 1267 of 1999, which slapped sanctions on Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives and associates, only a handful have been captured, reconciled with the new government or their whereabouts otherwise established, due to a lack of international cooperation.
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