Townhall84%

Bosnian War Crimes Suspect Indicted for Lying on U.S. Citizenship Application 17%

By Scott McClallen27%

7/24/2026, 9:00:05 PM

BS Summary: This article contains 20 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Appeal to Emotion, and Availability Heuristic, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 21.7% saturation with 144 hits. Analysis detected 815 faulty-reasoning hits from 665 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 32.5% and a BS Rank of 17% (18,264 of 21,886 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 83.40% of the article peer group.

A federal grand jury in the District of Idaho returned an indictment last week charging Miran Kostic, 66, of Boise, Idaho, a national of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with lying while attempting to obtain U.S. citizenship. 
Court documents say that Kostic was a high-level official in the so-called Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB). 
In that role, he pistol-whipped prisoners, beat them with wooden clubs, stakes, and his fists, and kicked them, causing them to lose consciousness. 
He forced prisoners to beat each other, and he also ordered other members of the APZB to beat prisoners. 
In his applications to become a U.S. citizen and in interviews with the FBI and U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), he repeatedly lied about the abuse he participated in and ordered, and failed to disclose charges filed against him in Bosnia and Herzegovina for war crimes, among other lies. 
Kostic is charged with attempted naturalization fraud and making material false statements to law enforcement agents. 
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each charge of attempted naturalization fraud, and five years in prison for the false statements charge. 
“Miran Kostic benefited from U.S. residency for decades and ultimately attempted to become a naturalized citizen, all while concealing the human rights abuses he committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” said Assistant Attorney General A. 
Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. 
“Individuals who commit atrocities abroad and lie to immigration authorities to seek safe haven in the United States will be investigated and prosecuted. 
The integrity of our naturalization process and the enforcement of our immigration laws are paramount concerns.” 
HSI and FBI are investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. 
“The U.S. 
Attorney’s Office is proud to work with our partners to ensure federal immigration laws are followed and are properly enforced,” said U.S. 
Attorney Bart M. 
Davis for the District of Idaho. 
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance by securing the evidence for prosecution of Kostic. 
The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in furthering the investigation. 
“Citizenship is a privilege that must be earned with honesty and integrity,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller of U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle. 
“HSI will not allow the naturalization process to be undermined by fraud. 
We remain steadfast in our commitment to investigate and prosecute those who conceal their criminal backgrounds to illegally obtain status.” 
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions and Assistant U.S. 
Attorney Kate Horwitz for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case. 
“Kostic’s attempt to conceal his violent history in order to obtain U.S. citizenship will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. 
“We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud and hold individuals accountable for violating our nation’s laws.” 
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or through the FBI’s online tip form at www.tips.fbi.gov/, or Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or through ICE’s online tip form at www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form. 
An indictment is merely an allegation. 
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 
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Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 5.1%Scott McClallen: 2.4%Townhall: 5.3%Confirmation Bias5.1%This article: 4.4%Scott McClallen: 0.8%Townhall: 0.7%Anchoring Bias4.4%This article: 7.2%Scott McClallen: 1.5%Townhall: 2.8%Availability Heuristic7.2%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.7%Townhall: 0.8%Representativeness Heuristic0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.4%Townhall: 0.7%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 1.3%Townhall: 1.7%Overconfidence Bias0.0%This article: 18.5%Scott McClallen: 7.7%Townhall: 11.2%Framing Effect18.5%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.2%Townhall: 0.4%Loss Aversion0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.2%Townhall: 0.3%Status Quo Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.1%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 1.8%Scott McClallen: 0.8%Townhall: 1.4%Optimism Bias1.8%This article: 3.0%Scott McClallen: 0.9%Townhall: 1.9%Pessimism Bias3.0%This article: 21.7%Scott McClallen: 8.5%Townhall: 13.5%Negativity Bias21.7%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 1.9%Townhall: 1.8%Self-Serving Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.8%Townhall: 1.8%Fundamental Attribution Error0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.1%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 2.6%Scott McClallen: 2.8%Townhall: 4.6%In-Group Bias2.6%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.9%Townhall: 3.2%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 1.4%Townhall: 1.8%Halo Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.4%Townhall: 0.9%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.5%Townhall: 1.3%Recency Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.3%Townhall: 0.6%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 2.6%Scott McClallen: 1.5%Townhall: 5.0%Ad Hominem2.6%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.5%Townhall: 2.0%Straw Man0.0%This article: 3.3%Scott McClallen: 4.2%Townhall: 4.4%Appeal to Authority3.3%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.7%Townhall: 1.9%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.5%Townhall: 1.6%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.2%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 3.5%Scott McClallen: 2.3%Townhall: 9.1%Hasty Generalization3.5%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.6%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.7%Townhall: 1.3%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 11.1%Scott McClallen: 10.3%Townhall: 11.1%Appeal to Emotion11.1%This article: 3.3%Scott McClallen: 1.1%Townhall: 2.2%Begging the Question3.3%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 1.4%Townhall: 2.4%Post Hoc (False Cause)0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.6%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 2.6%Scott McClallen: 0.7%Townhall: 1.5%Burden of Proof2.6%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.1%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.1%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.2%Townhall: 1.4%Anecdotal0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.1%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 1.7%Townhall: 2.2%Ambiguity (Equivocation)0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.2%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.2%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.0%Townhall: 0.4%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 5.1%Scott McClallen: 2.0%Townhall: 3.4%Unattributed Quote5.1%This article: 5.1%Scott McClallen: 3.2%Townhall: 3.0%Quote-first Misdirection5.1%This article: 6.3%Scott McClallen: 5.5%Townhall: 16.1%Biased Writer Voice6.3%This article: 6.3%Scott McClallen: 4.0%Townhall: 5.6%Indoctrination6.3%This article: 0.0%Scott McClallen: 0.1%Townhall: 0.2%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 2.6%Scott McClallen: 5.5%Townhall: 13.8%Politically Right Leaning Bias2.6%This article: 6.6%Scott McClallen: 3.8%Townhall: 5.0%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…6.6%

665 words analyzed.

Speakers

2speakers14%attributed speech570writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 35 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 19 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 34 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 29 words • 0.0% coverageTysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. • 34 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 8 words • 0.0% coverageTysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. • 23 words • 0.0% coverageTysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 25 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 20 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageU.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis for the District of Idaho. • 22 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 3 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 6 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 19 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 29 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 22 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 20 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 28 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 48 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 6 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 1 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 1 words • 0.0% coverage
73 attributed words77% of attributed speech52% writer coverage
0%25.0%50.0%Quote-first Misdirection+46.6 ptsWriter: 0.0%Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.: 46.6%46.6%Attempt to Sell a Product -7.7 ptsWriter: 7.7%Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.: 0.0%0.0%Biased Writer Voice-7.4 ptsWriter: 7.4%Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.: 0.0%0.0%Indoctrination-7.4 ptsWriter: 7.4%Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.: 0.0%0.0%Unattributed Quote-6.0 ptsWriter: 6.0%Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.: 0.0%0.0%Politically Right Leaning -3.0 ptsWriter: 3.0%Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.