The regime of Alija Izetbegovic is thoroughly backed by the U.S.
government and military. In fact, its foreign minister, Mohamed Sacirbey, is a U.S.
citizen.
The government itself has carried out criminal attacks. According to an article in The
Nation by David Binder, the two bloodiest bombings of the civilian marketplace in downtown
Sarajevo have been traced to the forces of the Izetbegovic government.
Izetbegovic is a long-time anti-communist of the type supported by the U.S. throughout
the Cold War.
During World War II, he was a member of a group that included many collaborators with
the Nazi occupiers. In 1949, Izetbegovic was one of the leaders of a revolt against the
Tito government. He and several others were sent to prison.
Izetbegovic continued his anti-communist activities once he was out. He maintained
close contact with U.S.-backed exile groups.
In 1970, he published an "Islamic Declaration" that said, "There can be
neither peace nor coexistence between the Islamic faith and non-Islamic social and
political institutions."
In 1983, he and 12 others were convicted for counter- revolutionary acts, including the
advocacy of an "ethnically pure Bosnia-Herzegovina."
