Ejup Ganić was the acting Bosnian president who greeted Hillary Clinton on her trip to Bosnia in 1996. He says he met with her for "about 20 minutes."
Eric Jansson, who worked as a journalist in Eastern Europe for nine years, has been in touch with Ejup Ganić by e-mail. So did he back up Hillary's story?
Not exactly ...
Ganić told Eric Jansson that there wasn’t any sniper fire and none had been anticipated.
We didn't expect snipers, although we Bosnians were rather comfortable with the situation since for four years we had bullets fired over our heads on a daily basis.
He also added: "By talking to the First Lady, I was under the impression that she had an agenda for her own advancement and I am not surprised of her desire to win the current elections." His e-mail to Jansson is here.
We didn't expect snipers, although we Bosnians were rather comfortable with the situation since for four years we had bullets fired over our heads on a daily basis.
After the welcoming ceremony, I had an official conversation with the First Lady on behalf of our government. I was pleasantly surprised that she was up-to-date on many issues. Although her visit was in the unsettled environment, I remember that she handled herself much better than many senators who visited us at that time.
By talking to the First Lady, I was under the impression that she had an agenda for her own advancement and I am not surprised of her desire to win the current elections.
Hillary Clinton meeting with Ejup Ganić
According to HRC's First Lady Schedule, this is how the WSJ says the early part of the day at Tuzla looked like:
Clinton landed at Tuzla Air Base at 8:45 a.m. on March 25, 1996. She was greeted by Bosnian officials and a seven-year-old Bosnian girl whose name was redacted, and a 7th grade class. The girl read Clinton a poem. Clinton and her aides had a 10-minute meeting with acting Bosnia President Ejup Ganic and his aides. There was an hour-long "notables roundtable" moderated by then-Ambassador John Menzies followed by a 30-minute closed-door meeting with the heads of unnamed non-governmental organizations, and a 30-minute closed door meeting with military officials.
However, there is one part of his e-mail that does support a little of what Hillary said:
I was the main host and the originally planned welcoming ceremony was shrunk down. However, as one NGO brought a little girl to sing a song to the First Lady on her arrival, that prolonged the welcoming ceremony.
That does seem a little contradictory -- the welcoming ceremony was "shrunk down" and yet it was "prolonged." He also doesn't explain why the time alloted to the welcoming cermony was "shrunk down." Was it because of a perceived dangerous situation, or was it to allow him more time in private with Clinton or to allow her more time elsewhere on her schedule?