document: An official statement issued Friday confirmed that federal military commanders met in March and considered ways to quell dissent in Slovenia . The statement by Slovenia 's Information Ministry followed reports published by the Slovenian youth magazine Mladina that there had been plans for a military takeover of the republic . Slovenia is considered the most liberal of Yugoslavia 's six republics and two autonomous provinces . The ministry statement said the federal military council met on March 25 and concluded that `` dissident tendencies '' in Slovenia were part of a foreign-backed conspiracy to overthrow the country 's Communist government . But it said there was no discussion at the meeting `` about a plan for action against special warfare in Slovenia . '' The term special warfare refers to subversive actions . The statement did not identify the foreign elements and said Slovenia police later challenged the claim that there was such a conspiracy . It said the police disputed the military council 's conclusion at a later meeting between the republic 's police authorities and Ljubljana 's military command . The police said `` they had no available data which would justify such evaluations , '' according to the ministry statement . It reported the police also said there were no `` subversive forces behind '' articles carried in the Slovenian news media . Slovenia 's Communist Party presidium also `` expressed disagreement with part of the military council 's opinions , '' said the statement . Some army commanders have been increasingly critical of Slovenia 's leadership , saying it should act firmly against political dissidents . And Slovenian Communists have frequently criticized the way the federal government is dealing with the country 's economic and social problems . Mladina , the official publication of the Socialist Youth organization , wrote of possible military intervention in its current issue . It published a letter to Slovenia 's Communist Party leader Milan Kucan from two student unions that said military action had been planned earlier this year , including the arrests of `` nonconformist journalists , writers and officials . '' The letter said military units would be used to crush demonstrations that were expected to be called to protest the arrests . It also said the army did not notify Slovenia 's civilian leadership of the planned intervention . The plan was blocked by Kucan and Stane Dolanc , Slovenia 's member in Yugoslavia 's collective presidency , after they were told about it by Slovenian security organizations , the letter said . Svetozar Visnjic , commander of Ljubljana 's military command , dismissed the reports of planned military action as `` nonsense and a fabrication . '' He made the comment in an interview with the Belgrade Politika Ekspres newspaper .
extractive_keyphrases: federal military commanders yugoslavia dissident tendencies communist government political dissidents slovenian communists slovenia police ministry statement
abstractive_keyphrases: foreign-backed conspiracy