Voice of America, 29 February 1996

From: "Ioannis V. Bousnakis" <[email protected]>

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW N. GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: PUBLISHER STEVE FORBES' SURPRISING VICTORY IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY ELECTION TUESDAY IN ARIZONA, AND THE REPUBLICAN RACE IN GENERAL, IS A FAVORITE TOPIC OF EDITORIAL WRITERS IN MANY OF THURSDAY'S PAPERS. OTHER SUBJECTS UNDER DISCUSSION INCLUDE THE LATEST BOMBING VIOLENCE THAT THREATENS THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE EFFORTS; THE ANTI-VIOLENCE CHIP FOR NEW U-S TELEVISIONS, AND A SCATHING CRITIQUE OF THE WORLD RELIEF EFFORT IN RWANDA. NOW, HERE WITH A CLOSER LOOK IS ___________________ AND TODAY'S EDITORIAL DIGEST.

TEXT: LOOKING FIRST AT PUBLISHER STEVE FORBES' STRONG WIN IN THE ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PRIMARY, TOGETHER WITH SENATOR BOB DOLE'S VICTORIES -- AS EXPECTED -- IN THE TWO DAKOTAS, "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" CALLS THE CURRENT PRIMARY SITUATION "A FINE MESS," ADDING:

VOICE: "THE SPLIT DECISION ON TUESDAY -- STEVE FORBES IN ARIZONA, BOB DOLE IN THE DAKOTAS, AND PAT BUCHANAN TRAILING -- SHOWED THAT RANK-AND-FILE REPUBLICANS AREN'T CLOSE TO DECIDING ON A NOMINEE AND A PLATFORM. THAT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE FELLOW WITH ALL THE ENDORSEMENTS, MR. DOLE... BUT A LONGER BATTLE FOR THE NOMINATION 'COULD' [ITACLICS FOR EMPHASIS] JUST BE IN THE INTERESTS OF A PUBLIC THAT HAS GROWN ESTRANGED FROM POLITICS AND POLITICIANS."

TEXT: IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND, "THE PORTLAND [MAINE] PRESS HERALD" SAYS THAT "[MR.] FORBES PORTRAYS A VISION AND ARIZONANS RESPOND:"

VOICE: "AT LAST, THE KIND OF WORDS MANY AMERICANS ARE WAITING TO HEAR HAVE MADE THEIR WAY INTO THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. 'WE SEE AN AMERICA THAT IS SELF-CONFIDENT, DYNAMIC, OUTWARD LOOKING, FORWARD LOOKING, THE NATION THAT WILL LEAD THE WORLD INTO THE NEXT CENTURY AND THE NEXT MILLENNIUM,' STEVE FORBES TOLD ARIZONANS LAST WEEK, IN PERSON AND IN A THREE-MILLION-DOLLAR-PLUS TELEVISION CAMPAIGN. ARIZONA REPUBLICANS LISTENED AND AWARDED HIM ALL THEIR DELEGATES... CAMPAIGN RHETORIC THAT AVOIDS NEGATIVISM AND DEMAGOGUERY ... SEEMED TO BE PAYING OFF."

TEXT: TODAY'S "WALL STREET JOURNAL" HEADLINES ITS LEAD EDITORIAL "FRONT-RUNNER FORBES" AND NOTES THAT MR. FORBES' VICTORY PROVED ALL THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS WRONG.

VOICE: "...BUT MEDIA HUMILIATION IS JUST ONE OF THE ARRESTING MESSAGES VOTERS SENT ON TUESDAY. ANOTHER IS THE CLEAR, OVERWHELMING DESIRE BY REPUBLICANS TO SHAKE UP THE BELTWAY [WASHINGTON INSIDER] STATUS QUO. IN EVERY PRIMARY SO FAR, ROUGHLY TWO OF EVERY THREE VOTES HAS BEEN CAST FOR CANDIDATES RUNNING AS OUTSIDERS, WHETHER REAL OR SYNTHETIC. BOB DOLE, THE EPITOME OF THE G-O-P ESTABLISHMENT, IS BEING REJECTED BY 70 PERCENT OR MORE OF THESE REPUBLICANS... THE FORBES VICTORY, AFTER A WEEKEND WIN IN DELAWARE, MAKES HIM A SERIOUS CONTENDER FOR THE GOP NOMINATION."

TEXT: IN BALTIMORE, "THE SUN'S" LEAD EDITORIAL CALLS STEVE FORBES, "KING OF THE WEEK," BUT IN TODAY'S "NEW YORK TIMES" THERE IS A LAMENT ABOUT THE "POWER OF RICH CANDIDATES", A POINTED REFERENCE TO MILLIONAIRE FORBES.

VOICE: "STEVE FORBES'S VICTORY IN TUESDAY'S WINNER-TAKE-ALL [IN SOME OTHER PRIMARIES, DELEGATES ARE APPORTIONED BY THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTES EACH CANDIDATE GETS] ARIZONA PRIMARY HAS DISPLAYED WITH NEW FORCE THE DISTORTING EFFECT OF BIG MONEY ON AMERICAN POLITICS. MR. FORBES SPENT SOME FOUR-MILLION DOLLARS IN ARIZONA, ACCORDING TO THE RUNNER-UP, BOB DOLE, WHO SAYS HE SPENT LESS THAN A FOURTH OF THAT. THE SPENDING BLITZ ALLOWED MR. FORBES TO CAPTURE THE ARIZONA DELEGATION AT A COST OF ABOUT 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DELEGATE. CONGRESS HAS NO MORE URGENT TASK THAN TO CLEAN UP A CAMPAIGN FINANCING SYSTEM THAT GIVES UNDUE ADVANTAGE TO RICH CANDIDATES..."

TEXT: AND ONE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, SAYS "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES", IS TO GET FREE RATHER THAN PAID TIME ON THE NATION'S TELEVISION STATIONS.

VOICE: "AMONG COUNTRIES WHERE DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS ARE THE NORM, ONLY TWO FAIL TO OFFER FREE TELEVISION TIME TO NATIONAL CANDIDATES. AMERICANS WON'T BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THEIR COUNTRY IS ONE. THEY MIGHT BE EMBARRASSED TO LEARN THAT RUSSIA IS THE OTHER... A FEW HOURS OF FREE TIME FOR MAJOR CANDIDATES SPREAD OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE CAMPAIGN WOULD BE A PUBLIC SERVICE, AND IT IS STILL THE PUBLIC, AFTER ALL, TO WHOM THE AIR WAVES BELONG."

TEXT: TURNING OVERSEAS, THE RECENT TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN ISRAEL AND BRITAIN SHARE EDITORIAL ATTENTION IN TODAY'S PAPERS. FIRST, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" COMMENTS ON THE BOMBING IN ISRAEL:

VOICE: "THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS FACES A CRITICAL TEST: CAN IT MOVE AHEAD DESPITE ANOTHER ROUND OF SUICIDE BOMBINGS INSIDE ISRAEL? ... IN PRACTICAL TERMS, HOWEVER, IT'S HARD TO SEE HOW ANY IMMEDIATE MILITARY OR POLICE STEPS [ANNOUNCED BY BOTH ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY], BY EITHER GOVERNMENT, CAN COMPLETELY THWART INDIVIDUALS BENT ON SUICIDE MISSIONS. ULTIMATELY, THE MOST EFFECTIVE TACTIC IS TO PERSIST IN BUILDING PEACE AND THE MORE STABLE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT REINS IN SUCH ACTIVITY."

TEXT: IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, PORTLAND'S "OREGONIAN" SUGGESTS THAT THE PATIENCE OF THE ISRAELI PEOPLE MAY BE WEARING THIN.

VOICE: "THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO SUNDAY'S MURDEROUS BOMBING ... BY INSISTING THAT TERRORISM WILL NOT DISRUPT THE PEACE PROCESS... THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO SAY. BUT ISRAELIS WON'T LISTEN FOREVER... IT WON'T TAKE MANY MORE ACTS OF VICIOUSNESS BEFORE THEY [ISRAELIS] START TO DECIDE THAT THE AREAS UNDER NEW PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY ARE BECOMING SAFE LAUNCHING PADS FOR TERRORIST ASSAULTS."

TEXT: IN BALTIMORE, "THE SUN" NOTES THE RENEWED I-R-A BOMBING CAMPAIGN IN LONDON COULD HARM THE NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE EFFORT, BUT SALUTES THE NEW AGREEMENT OF BRITISH AND IRISH PRIME MINISTERS TO RESTART THE TALKS:

VOICE: "THE PLAN GIVES SINN FEIN AND THE I-R-A [IRISH REFPUBLICAN ARMY] TWO THINGS THEY WANTED. ONE IS A FIRM DATE FOR THE START OF WHAT WILL BE IN EFFECT A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, JUNE TENTH. THE OTHER IS ABANDONMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE I-R-A BEGIN TO DESTROY ITS WEAPONS BEFORE SINN FEIN TAKES PART... THE SPEED AND DETERMINATION OF THIS FORMULA SHOULD HEARTEN ALMOST EVERYONE."

TEXT: "THE BOSTON GLOBE" SAYS "SPECIAL PRAISE IS IN ORDER FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN IRELAND, WHO SHOWED BY MARCHES, RALLIES AND PUBLIC OPINION POLLS THAT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO LET THE PROCESS BE THWARTED BY TERRORIST VIOLENCE."

TODAY'S "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" SAYS THE NEW TELECOMMUNICATIONS LAW THAT MANDATES A SPECIAL COMPUTER CHIP IN ALL NEW TELEVISION SETS TO HELP PARENTS CONTROL WHAT THEIR CHILDREN WATCH IS NOT ENOUGH.

VOICE: "THE WISEST WORDS SPOKEN ABOUT T-V QUALITY IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK WERE, IN FACT, UTTERED BY SENATORS SAM NUNN AND JOSEPH LIEBERMAN. THEY SPOKE IN THE PRESENCE OF MAJOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS. THE TWO SENATORS ARGUED THAT A RATINGS SYSTEM FOR T-V CONTENT AND A V-CHIP [VIOLENCE-SCREENING-CHIP] TO ALLOW PARENTAL CONTROL OF CHILDREN'S FARE ARE NOT ENOUGH TO REALLY IMPROVE THIS PRINCIPAL TEACHER OF AMERICA'S CHILDREN."

TEXT: AND FINALLY, SOME HARSH WORDS IN A "NEWSDAY" EDITORIAL ABOUT A STUDY OF HOW THE WORLD REACTED TO THE GENOCIDE IN RWANDA TWO YEARS AGO:

VOICE: "... A SCATHING INTERNATIONAL REPORT DETAILING THE WAYS IN WHICH THE OUTSIDE WORLD BOTCHED THE DEBACLE IN RWANDA LAST YEAR COMES AS A SOBERING CORRECTIVE AND A USEFUL GUIDE. ITS RECOMMENDATION SHOULD BE HEEDED BY GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL AID AGENCIES THAT MAY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY FUTURE GENOCIDAL RAMPAGES... IT DETAILS POOR PLANNING, FAILURES TO COORDINATE EFFORTS, A SEEMINGLY WILLFUL IGNORANCE OF REPEATED DANGER SIGNS, ORGANIZATIONAL RIVALRIES AND INEXCUSABLE WASTE OF RESOURCES..."

TEXT: AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR BREIF REVIEW OF SOME OF TODAY'S EDITORIALS TO BE FOUND IN THE U-S PRESS.

NEB/ANG/PCH

29-Feb-96 11:30 AM EST (1630 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[02] ASIA/EUROPE SUMMIT (L) BY DAN ROBINSON (BANGKOK)

INTRO: LEADERS FROM EAST ASIA AND EUROPE ARE IN THAILAND FOR THEIR INAUGURAL SUMMIT BEGINNING FRIDAY. AS V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS FROM OUR BUREAU IN BANGKOK, THE MEETING IS SEEN AS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN EFFORTS TO INCREASE TRADE AND POLITICAL TIES AND BRING CLOSER TOGETHER TWO OF THE WORLD'S MOST ECONOMICALLY POWERFUL REGIONS.

TEXT: ALL THE EUROPEAN HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ATTENDING THE SUMMIT WENT TO A BANGKOK HOTEL THURSDAY EVENING WHERE THEY WERE FORMALLY WELCOMED BY THAILAND'S PRIME MINISTER -- BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA.

EUROPEAN DELEGATIONS ALSO SHUTTLED ACROSS THE CITY TO MEET MEMBERS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES BASED IN THAILAND.

IN REMARKS TO BRITISH BUSINESS EXECUTIVES, PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR SAID EUROPE SHOULD PUSH ASIDE WHAT HE CALLED ITS CONSERVATISM ABOUT INVESTMENT IN ASIA.

OTHERS TOUCHED UPON THE SAME THEME -- A REFLECTION OF EUROPE'S REALIZATION THAT IT MUST CATCH UP WITH THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT IN THE REGION.

A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT BILATERAL MEETINGS TOOK PLACE ON THE EVE OF THE SUMMIT, INCLUDING ONE BETWEEN MR. MAJOR AND CHINESE PREMIER LI PENG ABOUT HONG KONG.

EUROPEAN OFFICIALS SAID THEY STRESSED TO THE CHINESE LEADER THE IMPORTANCE OF A PEACEFUL TRANSITION FOR HONG KONG TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997. THEY QUOTED HIM AS GIVING ASSURANCES HONG KONG'S CAPITALIST SYSTEM WOULD BE MAINTAINED.

JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER, RYUTARO HASHIMOTO, SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO HIS MEETING SATURDAY WITH SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM YOUNG SAM, BUT DOES NOT WANT THE ISSUE OF THE TERRITORIAL DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES TO OVERSHADOW THOSE TALKS.

AMONG MAJOR POINTS IN A SUMMIT DRAFT DECLARATION, ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS PLEDGE GREATER EFFORTS TO EXPAND TWO-WAY INVESTMENT AND TRADE AND URGE SUPPORT FOR THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.

ON THE EVE OF THE SUMMIT, EUROPEAN AND ASIAN ACTIVIST GROUPS URGED ASIAN AND EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS NOT TO PURSUE TRADE AT THE EXPENSE OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS. (SIGNED)

NEB/DR/LTJ/JM
29-Feb-96 10:25 AM EST (1525 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[03] ASIA / EUROPE / N-G-O WRAP (L-O) BY VIKASH JAIN (BANGKOK)

INTRO: IN THAILAND, ACTIVIST GROUPS MEETING TO TALK ABOUT LABOR AND HUMAN-RIGHTS ISSUES HAVE CONCLUDED A THREE-DAY CONFERENCE. VIKASH JAIN IN BANGKOK REPORTS THE GROUPS ISSUED A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THEY HOPE WILL GET CONSIDERATION FROM EAST ASIAN AND EUROPEAN HEADS OF STATE WHO BEGIN A SUMMIT ON FRIDAY:

TEXT:

ECONOMIC TALK IS EVERYWHERE. DON'T TALK ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. DON'T TALK ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. OH, NEVER MIND. WE DON'T CARE, HE SINGS -- MOCKING ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS WHO WILL MEET (FRIDAY) IN BANGKOK.

THE VOICE BELONGS TO ONE OF SEVERAL PEOPLE USING SONG TO PUT FORWARD POLITICAL MESSAGES ON THE FINAL DAY OF A NON-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE IN BANGKOK.

ORGANIZERS OF THE CONFERENCE WERE MORE DIRECT. THEY SUBMITTED A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO DIPLOMATS FROM THAILAND AND ITALY -- REPRESENTING THE EUROPEAN UNION.

AMONG THE RECOMMENDATIONS: A DEMAND ASIAN AND EUROPEAN NATIONS SUSPEND RELATIONS WITH BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT UNTIL IT MAKES DEMOCRATIC REFORMS. THEY ALSO URGED SUPPORT FOR A COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY AND AN END TO CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS SALES TO ASIA.

WALDEN BELLO -- ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF N-G-O CONFERENCE -- SAYS THE GATHERING WAS TRYING TO SEND A SIMPLE MESSAGE TO THE ASIA-EUROPE SUMMIT:

THIS DIALOGUE BETWEEN ASIA AND EUROPE SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE IN STRICTLY-ECONOMIC TERMS, FRAMED BY THE PARADIGM OF FREE TRADE. AND, WE ARE SAYING -- WHEN DISCUSSING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ASIA AND EUROPE -- YOU HAVE GOT TO BRING IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, YOU'VE GOT TO BRING IN EQUITY, YOU HAVE GOT TO BRING IN THE IMPACT ON VULNERABLE GROUPS -- PARTICULARLY WOMEN.

PROBABLY THE MOST-CONTENTIOUS ISSUE TOUCHED UPON BY THE CONFERENCE WAS THE FATE OF EAST TIMOR. WALDEN BELLO OUTLINED THE N-G-O POSITION:

WE HAVE MADE A VERY-STRONG AND URGENT APPEAL HERE FOR THE DE-COLONIZATION OF EAST TIMOR AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF INDONESIA FROM EAST TIMOR.

INDONESIA HAS SAID REPEATEDLY IT DOES NOT WANT THE EAST TIMOR ISSUE DISCUSSED AT THE SUMMIT -- CALLING IT IRRELEVANT. PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER ANTONIO GUTTERES SAYS HE WILL NOT BE SILENCED ON THE ISSUE.

IF EAST TIMOR IS THE CAUSE OF DISPUTE BETWEEN ANY OF THE ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS, THE CITIZEN'S GROUPS SUGGEST IT WOULD BEAR OUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG -- THAT YOU CANNOT DO BUSINESS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE COMMON RULES FOR PROPER BEHAVIOR. (SIGNED)

NEB / VJ / AC / WOD
29-Feb-96 5:38 AM EST (1038 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[04] ASIA / EUROPE / S BY DAN ROBINSON (BANGKOK)

INTRO: LEADERS FROM EAST ASIA AND EUROPE ARE ARRIVING IN THAILAND FOR A SUMMIT TO DISCUSS EXPANDED TRADE AND POLITICAL COOPERATION. V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS FROM OUR BUREAU IN BANGKOK:

TEXT: AFTER ARRIVING WITHIN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER AT BANGKOK'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EUROPEAN AND ASIAN LEADERS WERE WHISKED IN MOTORCADES TO DOWNTOWN HOTELS.

AMONG THE FIRST ARRIVALS WERE BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR AND HIS CHINESE COUNTERPART, LI PENG.

TALKS THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO HOLD (THURSDAY) ARE THE FIRST OF MANY BILATERAL MEETINGS TAKING PLACE ON THE SIDELINES OF THE SUMMIT.

FOREIGN MINISTERS AND OTHER OFFICIALS FROM THE 15 E-U COUNTRIES AND 10 EAST-ASIAN NATIONS ARE PUTTING FINAL TOUCHES ON A DECLARATION TO BE ISSUED SATURDAY.

THE HIGHLIGHT WILL BE A PLEDGE TO INCREASE TRADE AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN TWO OF THE WORLD'S MOST-POWERFUL ECONOMIC REGIONS.

LABOR STANDARDS, HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER SENSITIVE TOPICS ARE BEING KEPT LOW PROFILE, ALTHOUGH EUROPEAN OFFICIALS SAY SOME ISSUES MAY COME UP BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. (SIGNED)

NEB / WOD / WOD
29-Feb-96 2:40 AM EST (0740 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[05] BOSNIA/SARAJEVO (L ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY ( SARAJEVO )

TEXT: THE POLICE FROM THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION MOVED INTO ILIJAS, ONE OF THE SERB SUBURBS OF SARAJEVO, EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AND QUICKLY TOOK CONTROL.

ILIJAS WAS THE SCENE OF SOME OF THE MOST BITTER FIGHTING DURING THE LONG WAR IN BOSNIA. THE TOWN CONTROLS THE MAIN HIGHWAY INTO SARAJEVO, AND THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS ON BOTH SIDES DIED JUST NORTH OF HERE WHEN THE BOSNIAN ARMY TRIED REPEATEDLY TO LIFT THE SIEGE OF THE CAPITAL BY THE BOSNIAN SERBS. NOW THE ROAD IS OPEN, AND SARAJEVO IS NO LONGER A SURROUNDED CITY. IN ILIJAS, THE FEDERATION POLICE PATROLLED THE STREETS, BUT THERE WAS LITTLE SIGN OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE MONITORS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPANY THEM. ONE FEDERATION POLICEMAN, BRANISLAV BUDJEVAC, AN ETHNIC SERB, SAID THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE WERE HAVING LUNCH, BUT HE SAID THE FEW SERBS LEFT IN ILIJAS HAD NOTHING TO FEAR.

HE SAID THE FEDERAL POLICE CAN GUARANTEE ALL CITIZENS WHO DID NOT COMMIT CRIMES WILL BE SAFE, BUT HE ADMITTED THERE WOULD BE SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD WANT TO TAKE REVENGE ON THE SERBS FOR WHAT THEY DID TO NEARBY SARAJEVO DURING THE WAR. HE SAID IT WAS HIS JOB TO STOP THEM.

JUST DOWN THE STREET A NEATLY DRESSED OLD MAN WAS OUT FOR A WALK IN THE SUN. SEVENTY-THREE-YEAR OLD TOMO RADAN, A SERB, SAID HE HAD LIVED IN ILIJAS FOR 60 YEARS. HE SAID HE WAS TOO OLD AND SICK TO THINK ABOUT MOVING OUT.

THE WORST THING, HE SAID, IS ALL THE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING. TRUCKS ARE JUST COMING AND GOING, COMING AND GOING, AND HE SAID THERE WAS NO MORE LIFE HERE. HE SAID HE DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE ANY OF HIS FRIENDS AGAIN.

MANY MUSLIMS HAD COME FROM SARAJEVO TO CHECK ON THE CONDITION OF THEIR OLD HOMES . THEY WERE FORCED FROM ILIJAS BY THE SERBS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR. A FEW WERE LUCKY AND THEIR HOMES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. ONE MAN WAS WAITING OUTSIDE THE CITY HALL AND CURSING HIS BAD LUCK. 95 PER CENT OF THE SERBS HAVE LEFT ILIJAS, BUT HE SAID A SERB FAMILY WAS STILL LIVING IN HIS HOUSE, AND HE HAD COME TO THE POLICE TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO.

ANOTHER MAN WAS ON HIS WAY TO MISUCI, THE FORMER MUSLIM PART OF ILIJAS . ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY, MISUCI WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. DOZENS OF HOUSES WERE REDUCED TO RUBBLE. EVERY BUILDING HAD BEEN DYNAMITED, THE WALLS BLOWN OUT . THE MOSQUE HAD BEEN RAZED, ITS MINARET LAY IN PIECES ACROSS THE ROAD. AN 18 YEAR OLD GIRL HAD COME WITH HER MOTHER TO MISUCI TO SEE IF HER HOUSE HAD SURVIVED THE WAR. ALL THAT REMAINED WAS A PILE OF BRICKS ABOUT A METER HIGH. WITH TEARS IN HER EYES SHE TOLD HOW SHE FELT.

I GREW UP THERE, AND I LIVED WITH MY FATHER.. MY MOTHER AND MY GRANDMOTHER AND MY SISTER. MY FATHER IS DEAD BEFORE EIGHT YEARS AND THIS IS ALL WE HAVE.

THERE ARE STILL THREE MORE SERB SUBURBS TO BE HANDED BACK TO THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/MH/GPT
29-Feb-96 2:32 PM EST (1932 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[06] BOSNIA SITREP (L) BY WAYNE COREY ( VIENNA )

INTRO: ANOTHER SERB-HELD SUBURB OF SARAJEVO HAS BEEN TURNED OVER TO MUSLIM AND CROAT RULE. V-O-A'S CENTRAL EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT, WAYNE COREY, REPORTS THE HANDOVER MARKS THE EFFECTIVE END OF THE NEARLY-FOUR-YERA SERB SIEGE OF THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL.

TEXT: MUSLIM AND CROAT POLICE MOVED INTO THE SUBURB OF ILIJAS, THE SECOND SERB-HELD DISTRICT OF SARAJEVO TO REVERT TO MUSLIM/CROAT FEDERATION CONTROL. THE FLAG OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WAS RAISED IN THE MAIN TOWN OF ILIJAS. THE TOWN WAS NEARLY DESERTED BECAUSE OF THE MASS EXODUS OF SERB RESIDENTS.

WITH THE HANDOVER OF ILIJAS, BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE DECLARED THE NEARLY FOUR-YEAR SIEGE OF SARAJEVO EFFECTIVELY OVER. CONTROL OF THAT SUBURB AND THE PREVIOUS HANDOVER OF THE SUBURB OF VOGOSCA GIVE THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT UNDISPUTED CONTROL OF A ROAD THAT LINKS GOVERNMENT-HELD AREAS OF SARAJEVO WITH CENTRAL BOSNIA. THREE REMAINING SERB-HELD SUBURBS WILL BE TURNED OVER TO THE MUSLIM/CROAT FEDERATION BY MARCH 19TH. THAT WILL COMPLETE THE POST-WAR RE-UNIFICATION OF SARAJEVO. MEANWHILE, IN VIENNA, THE FORMER WARRING FORCES IN THE BALKANS ARE HOLDING ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS ON ARMS CONTROL IN THE REGION. NEGOTIATORS HAVE PRESENTED A DRAFT TREATY TO THE DELEGATIONS. THE BOSNIAN SERBS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS ROUND AFTER BOYCOTTING THE PREVIOUS ONE EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE BOYCOTT WAS A PROTEST AGAINST THE DETENTION OF SERB SOLDIERS, ALLEGEDLY LINKED TO WAR CRIMES. THE ARMS CONTROL DISCUSSIONS ARE SPONSORED BY THE ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE. THE CURRENT ROUND IS EXPECTED TO LAST TWO DAYS. AN OVERALL ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENT MUST BE REACHED BY JUNE SIXTH. IF THAT DEADLINE IS MISSED, MANDATORY WEAPONS QUOTAS WILL BE IMPOSED ON THE FORMER WARRING FORCES UNDER THE TERMS OF THE BOSNIAN PEACE AGREEMENT. (SIGNED)

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29-Feb-96 10:30 AM EST (1530 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[07] U-S/BOSNIA INCIDENT (S-ONLY) BY DAVID GOLLUST (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT SUPPORTS A DECISION BY NATO OFFICERS EARLIER THIS WEEK NOT TO ATTEMPT TO ARREST BOSNIAN SERB LEADER RADOVAN KARADZIC. THE BOSNIAN POLITICAL FIGURE, UNDER INDICTMENT FOR WAR CRIMES, WAS SPOTTED BY NATO FORCES EARLIER THIS WEEK IN THE SERB STRONGHOLD OF BANJA LUKA. V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST HAS DETAILS.

TEXT: ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL NOT SECOND-GUESS NATO COMMANDERS WHO DECIDED NOT TO ATTEMPT TO ARREST MR. KARADZIC WHEN HE APPEARED IN BANJA LUKA EARLIER THIS WEEK.

ACCORDING TO NEWS ACCOUNTS, THE BOSNIAN SERB LEADER WAS SPOTTED FOUR TIMES ON TUESDAY BY PEACEKEEPING TROOPS PATROLLING THE SERB STRONGHOLD. PENTAGON SPOKESMAN KEN BACON SAYS MR. KARADZIC WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ARMED BODYGUARDS AND THAT NATO OFFICERS FELT AN ARREST ATTEMPT WOULD HAVE PRODUCED MANY CASUALTIES:

IT WAS RELATIVELY SMALL I-FOR (IMPLEMENTATION FORCE) CONTINGENT AND THEY FELT IT WAS TOO SMALL TO DEAL WITH THE RISK INVOLVED IN TRYING TO DETAIN KARADZIC. SECONDLY THEY DECIDED IT WOULD POSE TOO MUCH OF A THREAT TO CIVILIANS.

U-S AND OTHER PEACEKEEPING TROOPS IN BOSNIA HAVE NOT BE ORDERED TO TRACK DOWN MR. KARADZIC OR THE MORE THAN 50 OTHERS FACING INDICTMENT FOR BOSNIAN WAR CRIMES. BUT POSTERS OF THE SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE TROOPS, WHO HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO ARREST THEM IF A SAFE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF. (SIGNED)

NEB/DAG/PT
29-Feb-96 6:14 PM EST (2314 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America