This is excellent.

The amazing Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz has a World Scoop.

A letter from Prime Minister John Major to FCO Minister of State Douglas Hogg – in Bosnian!

Check it out.

The letter (facsimile of an official (sic) translation of Major’s letter) is dated 2 May 1993.

The letter appears to be sent to Premier (sic) Douglas Hogg at the Office for Foreign and Common (sic) Affairs. Mr Hogg in 1993 was an FCO Minister of State (ie junior Minister, not Foreign Secretary).

It helpfully tells Douglas what has happened at a Cabinet meeting, to the effect that the UK will never send military supplies to the Bosnian Muslims under the ‘train and equip’ initiative. It asserts that from confidential sources HMG know that various countries are supplying the Serbs, just as "even the Vatican" is supplying the Croats.

It asserts that UK policy is aimed at preventing the emergence of an ISLAMIC STATE in Europe.

It refers Douglas to an unidentified letter from the USA warning against islamic extremists, which require "our security services" to keep a closer eye on islamic communities.

The UK must at any price avoid talking to Islamic countries such as Turkey about Western policy, but rather press ahead with the Vance-Owen plan until Bosnia is destroyed as a viable state and its Muslim community scattered from their own country:

"Although this may seem a hard policy, I must insist for you and others who take political decisions in the Office for Foreign and Common Affairs … that this is the right policy ..based on Christian civilization and ethics" 

Other Muslim states have done nothing to help Bosnia – HMG control their governments.

"Although I know that you do not fully agree with me and the Defence Ministry, we need to keep a united front in Parliament and elsewhere especially after the sharp attacks on our policy from the former Prime Minister" (Note: Mrs Thatcher?)

I have posted a comment on the Dnevni Avaz website asking for a sight of the original English version, which the article says the newspaper has.

If this is a real letter it is the greatest journalistic scoop of the century.

If (as I suspect) it is something made up by a dim-witted and ignorant propagandist who has done not even the basic work needed to see what an official letter from the British Prime Minister to a junior government colleague might look like, it is the journalistic poop of the century.

Or maybe it is Bosnian post-modern irony and/or biting Bosnian satire in action?

How are we all to tell?

Which fathead said this:

I spent most of yesterday discussing the politics and prospects of a small southern European country which, yes, has its problems but deals with them in a mature, sophisticated way.

Namely Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In particular, the way in which the Bosnian media on all sides go out of their way to get facts right, and cover fairly and accurately what people say, is legendary. As is the fact that on the few occasions they get things wrong, they quickly admit the error and publish prominent and generous corrections.

That’s the tip-top professional way to do it.

Come on, Dnevni Avaz. Soar gloriously to those highest standards.

Publish the original!