Voice of America, 17 February 1996

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

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA / SUMMIT (L) BY DAVID FOLEY (ROME)

INTRO: BALKAN LEADERS AND INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATORS HAVE BEGUN TWO DAYS OF TALKS IN ROME IN AN EFFORT TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THE FALTERING DAYTON PEACE PROCESS. LEADERS OF BOSNIA, SERBIA, AND CROATIA ARE FACING TOUGH CRITICISM FOR THEIR FAILURE SO FAR TO LIVE UP TO THE DAYTON AGREEMENT. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM ROME.

TEXT: THE CRISIS TALKS IN ROME WERE HASTILY ARRANGED BY THE AMERICAN NEGOTIATOR OF THE BOSNIAN PEACE PLAN, RICHARD HOLBROOKE. HE HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE WANTS A FRESH COMMITMENT FROM EACH OF THE THREE PRESIDENTS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE TERMS OF THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT.

MR. HOLBROOKE SAID THE THREE LEADERS WOULD BE TOLD POINT BLANK (OR BLUNTLY THAT) HOW THE SIDES WERE FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE ACCORD. EACH OF THE THREE IS FACING STRONG PRESSURE TO GET BACK IN STEP WITH THE DAYTON PEACE PROCESS.

OFFICIALS WANT THE SERBIAN PRESIDENT, SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC, TO ENSURE THE BOSNIAN SERBS RESUME NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE OTHER PARTIES. HE WILL ALSO FACE PRESSURE TO COOPERATE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL IN THE HAGUE. WHILE MR. MILOSEVIC HAS ALLOWED THE TRIBUNAL TO OPEN AN OFFICE IN BELGRADE, THE INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATORS WANT HIM TO DELIVER WAR CRIMINALS, SUCH AS RADOVAN KARADZIC AND GENERAL RATKO MLADIC, TO THE TRIBUNAL.

THE CROATIAN PRESIDENT, FRANJO TUDJMAN, WILL BE TOLD TO GET CONTROL OF RADICAL CROAT NATIONALISTS IN SOUTHERN BOSNIA, WHO ARE DESTABILIZING THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION. THE HARD-LINE CROATS ARE REFUSING TO ALLOW THE DIVIDED CITY OF MOSTAR TO BE UNIFIED.

ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC, THE BOSNIAN PRESIDENT, WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY HIS GOVERNMENT IS STILL HOLDING SCORES OF SERB PRISONERS. HE WILL ALSO HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT NATO OFFICIALS SAY IS A TERRORIST TRAINING SCHOOL THEY DISCOVERED ON BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT TERRITORY NEAR SARAJEVO.

AS THE TALKS IN ROME BEGAN, THE THREE PRESIDENTS SHOOK HANDS AS OBSERVERS APPLAUDED. BUT ONCE THE CAMERAS LEFT, THE CLAPPING STOPPED, AND THE ARM-TWISTING BEGAN. OFFICIALS SAY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF RECONSTRUCTION AID COULD BE WITHHELD, AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS COULD EVEN BE IMPOSED IF THE SIDES DON'T QUICKLY BEGIN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE PEACE ACCORD. (SIGNED) NEB / DF / BD-T / SKH 17-Feb-96 5:06 PM EST (2206 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[02] IRAN/BOSNIA (L ONLY) BY PEYMAN PEJMAN (CAIRO)

INTRO: IRAN SAYS THE THREE IRANIANS ARRESTED IN BOSNIA ON SUSPICION OF INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM ARE ALL DIPLOMATS AND WERE ON HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS. PEYMAN PEJMAN HAS MORE DETAILS FROM OUR CAIRO BUREAU.

TEXT: THE ENGLISH NEWSPAPER TEHRAN TIMES SATURDAY QUOTED AN UNNAMED FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL AS SAYING THE THREE IRANIANS ARRESTED BY NATO FORCES FRIDAY HAD DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AND SHOULD BE FREED AT ONCE.

THE OFFICIAL SAID THE THREE HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON WHAT HE CALLED HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS, AND HAD ONLY RECENTLY RETURNED TO BOSNIA. HE DID NOT SAY WHEN THEY HAD RETURNED TO BOSNIA, OR WHAT EXACTLY THEIR CURRENT MISSION WAS, BUT HE DENIED THEY WERE INVOLVED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATION.

ON FRIDAY NATO FORCES STORMED A SKI LODGE WEST OF THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL, SARAJEVO, AND ARRESTED THE THREE IRANIANS AND EIGHT BOSNIAN MEN FOR ALLEGEDLY RUNNING A TERRORIST TRAINING CENTER.

NATO SAYS ITS FORCES FOUND UNSPECIFIED QUANTIES OF ARMS, AMMUNITION, BOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONS ON BOMB-MAKING. NATO SPOKESMEN SAY ONE OF THE THREE IRANIANS HAD DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AND WAS IMMEDIATELY RELEASED.

THEY SAY THE OTHER TEN MEN WERE HANDED OVER TO THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAS PROMISED TO DEAL WITH THEM ACCORDING TO ITS CRIMINAL LAW.

THE NATO ACTION CAME AS THE PRESIDENTS OF BOSNIA, SERBIA AND CROATIA WERE CALLED TO A CRISIS MEETING IN ROME TO TRY TO RESOLVE VARIOUS PROBLEMS THAT HAVE COME UP IN IMPLEMENTING THE TERMS OF THE BOSNIA PEACE PLAN SIGNED IN DAYTON, OHIO, LAST NOVEMBER.

ONE PART OF THAT AGREEMENT CALLS ON THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMNT TO CLOSE DOWN VARIOUS MILITARY TRAINING CAMPS RUN BY FOREIGNERS AND SEND THE FOREIGN MILITARY MEN HOME. THE UNITED STATES SAYS THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS 200 TO 300 IRANIAN MILITARY ADVISORS IN BOSNIA. (SIGNED)

NEB/PP/DW/GPT
17-Feb-96 10:58 AM EST (1558 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America