Original article (in Serbian) was published on 23/11/2023; Author: Ivan Subotić
The 28th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement, a pivotal event that concluded the Bosnian War, signed on November 21, 1995, did not receive a lot of media attention in Serbia. Srpski telegraf, however, prominently featured this anniversary on its front page in its latest print edition on November 22, 2023. Regrettably, the coverage was marred by the tabloid’s decision to promote what it termed a “revelation” of a so-called “secret document” – a document that, in reality, has been publicly accessible for several years (1, 2, 3…).
The front-page story of Srpski telegraf was headlined “Secret American report on Dayton – never-before-seen maps and conversations,” and called it “an agreement that changed history”. It highlighted the release of a study by American diplomat Derek Chollet, who has recently returned to dealing with Balkan affairs. It noted that the study, titled “The Secret History of Dayton: American Diplomacy and the Bosnian Peace Process 1995” and previously marked as highly confidential, has been declassified and available to the public.
Contrary to Srpski telegraf’s portrayal of a newly uncovered “secret document,” this particular document has been publicly accessible for quite some time, specifically since November 2005 – a total of 18 years. It became available when it was declassified and subsequently published on the website of the National Security Archive. This non-profit organization gathers documents from the U.S. Government under the Freedom of Information Act.
Moreover, this very document was also published in book form in Croatia in 2007 by Golden Markrting – Tehnicka knjiga. This publication can be found at Korisna knjiga, a local online bookstore. The document has been the subject of multiple reports by various local media outlets, including Radio Free Europe, Mondo, Kurir, Pink, as well as Srpski telegraf which mentioned it on its web portal Republika a little less than two years ago.