ZAGREB, March 15, 2019 – The Croat member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite presidency, Željko Komšić, said on Thursday that the country’s security and intelligence agencies would be ordered to thoroughly investigate media reports that Croatian intelligence agents had allegedly tried to portray Bosnia and Herzegovina as a regional terrorist base, adding that appropriate steps would be taken if the reports proved to be true.
Commenting on media reports that Croatian intelligence agents had tried to recruit members of the radical Islamic Salafi movement to plant weapons in Islamic places of worship, which would then be used as evidence for claims that Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a stronghold of radical Islamists, and that Croatian diplomats were involved in this, Komšić said that only misinformed people could think that in today’s world diplomats only dealt with development and promotion of diplomatic relations.
He said, however, that “a red line” should clearly be drawn to make it clear what is acceptable and what is not.
“Even in such activities there is a red line that must not be crossed. Today’s visit by Andrej Plenković, the Prime Minister of Croatia, to Neum where a so-called political and scientific symposium was organised on the subject of amending the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution, still did not cross the red line although it showed a great lack of manners,” Komšić said, without elaborating.
Komšić said that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s police and intelligence services would thoroughly investigate the alleged armament of radical Islamists in the country by Croatian intelligence agents.
“If these allegations are confirmed as well-founded, Bosnia and Herzegovina will take the necessary measures without delay,” Komšić said in a written statement.
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