Panic Milan - Prime Minister for Peace

Prime Minister for Peace

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Panic, Milan, 1929

Prime minister for peace : my struggle for Serbian democracy / Milan Panic, as told to Kevin C. Murphy ; foreword by Bill Press.

pages cm

Summary: In this remarkable memoir, Milan Panic tells the formerly unknown story of his attempts to oust Slobodan Milosevic and his battles with the U.S. State Department in an effort to bring peace to the Balkans during the Yugoslav Wars. A young cycling champion who fought the Nazi occupation in Yugoslavia with Titos partisans, Panic defected after World War II from his now-communist country to start a new life in the United States. But his greatest challenge still lay ahead when he was invited to serve as prime minister of Yugoslavia. But in Belgrade, ancient enmities and suspicions festered, and the threat of tragedy and bloodshed loomed large as ethnic conflict raged. And even as Panic implored the West for support, he would have to outwit the machinations of a wily Serbian dictator, Slobodan Milosevic. Including behind-the-scenes details of his rivalry with Milosevic, this book is a compelling chronicle of the road to peace in the BalkansProvided by publisher.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-4362-0 (cloth : alkaline paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-4363-7 (electronic)

1. Panic, Milan, 1929- 2. Prime ministersYugoslaviaBiography. 3. YugoslaviaPolitics and government1992-2003. 4. Milosevic, Slobodan, 1941-2006Adversaries. 5. SerbiaPolitics and government1992-2006. 6. DemocracySerbia. 7. Peace-buildingBalkan Peninsula. 8. Yugoslav AmericansBiography. 9. ImmigrantsUnited StatesBiography. I. Murphy, Kevin C., 1974- II. Title.

DR1321.P36A3 2015

949.7103'1092dc23

[B]

2014038246

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to my children

Dawn, Milan Jr., Vickie, and Milan Spencer

Albright, Madeleine U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later secretary of state in the Clinton administration. She was the first woman to serve in that position.

Avramovic, Dragoslav Former World Bank economist who, at Milosevics behest, became head of Yugoslavias Central Bank and helped to stabilize the economy. Affectionately known to many Serbians as Grandpa Avram, he later became the public face of the opposition coalition Zajedno (Together).

Baker, James Secretary of state under, and close aide to, George H. W. Bush; ultimately replaced by Lawrence Eagleburger.

Bayh, Birch Lawyer, former U.S. senator from Arkansas; friend and advisor to Panic before, during, and after his tenure as Yugoslavias prime minister.

Bildt, Carl Former Swedish prime minister; eventually replaced David Owen as chief peace negotiator in the Balkans for the European Union.

Calef, David Former ICN manager who served as Milan Panics press officer during his time as prime minister.

Carrington, Lord (Peter) Former British foreign secretary; served as the European Unions peace envoy to the former Yugoslavia.

Christopher, Warren Secretary of state under Bill Clinton.

Clark, Wesley American general and head of NATO forces as Supreme Allied Commander Europe; presided over NATO military operations during the Kosovo War.

Cosic, Dobrica First president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; novelist and advocate of Serbian nationalism; key political player during Panics time in the country.

Djindjic, Zoran Serbian politician and cofounder of the Democratic Party; later served as Yugoslavias prime minister.

Djukanovic, Milo Prime minister of Montenegro and a key political opponent of Slobodan Milosevic; later served as both prime minister and president of an independent Montenegro.

Draskovic, Vuk Opposition leader who, along with his wife, was beaten and imprisoned by the Milosevic regime; later served in the Milosevic cabinet during the Kosovo conflict.

Eagleburger, Lawrence Former ambassador to Yugoslavia and veteran diplomat; eventually appointed as George H. W. Bushs secretary of state.

Fuerth, Leon Foreign policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore.

Gelbard, Robert Senior State Department official and envoy to the Balkans during the Clinton administration.

Holbrooke, Richard Veteran diplomat sent as a personal envoy of President Clinton to the Balkans, with full negotiating power to defuse the crises in the region; later served as UN ambassador from 1999 to 2001.

Izetbegovic, Alija Lawyer, author, and Bosnian Muslim politician who served as the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina beginning in 1990.

Jerney, Adam One of Panics top lieutenants at ICN.

Jovanovic, Vladislav Milosevic ally who served as foreign minister during Milan Panics term as prime minister.

Karadzic, Radovan Head of the Bosnian Serbs, tacitly supported by Slobodan Milosevic.

Kertes, Mihaly First deputy interior minister and head of the federal secret police; a close ally of Milosevic and his wife, he had supervised covert ethnic cleansing operations in Bosnia and Serbia.

Kesic, Obrac Young Serbian American aide to Panic; ran Panics government affairs office in Washington, D.C., beginning in 1998. There, he worked to train and encourage support for democratic opposition activists in Serbia.

Khan, Rafi California broker who, soon after Panics time as prime minister, attempted a hostile takeover of ICN Pharmaceuticals that ultimately failed.

Kitic, Melena Star of the Belgrade Opera; became Milan Panics third wife.

Koljevic, Nikola Bosnian Serb vice president during the Bosnian War.

Kontic, Radoje Milan Panics successor as prime minister of Yugoslavia, served from 1993 to 1998.

Kostunica, Vojislav Leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia; eventually became the opposition coalition candidate for Serbias president and successfully defeated Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.

Markovic, Mirijana Wife and close political ally of Slobodan Milosevic.

Milosevic, Slobodan President of Serbia, who rose to and held dictatorial power in Yugoslavia by inflaming ethnic tensions and Serbian nationalism.

Mitevic, Dusan Director of Radio Television of Serbia, the official Serbian state media, and key Milosevic aide; Mitevic was privy to, and later disavowed, Milosevics promise to Panic that the dictator would step down.