Voice of America, 13 & 14 July 1996

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA/SHOOTING (S ONLY) BY EVANS HAYS (SARAJEVO)

[02] FRANCE PARADE (L/S) BY JULIAN NUNDY (PARIS)

[01] BOSNIA/SHOOTING (S ONLY) BY EVANS HAYS (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: A U-S FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER BASED IN SARAJEVO HAS BEEN SHOT AND WOUNDED. OFFICIALS SAY THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT PROMPTED THE SHOOTING OR WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE. VOA'S EVANS HAYS IS IN SARAJEVO AND FILES THIS REPORT.

TEXT: THE SHOOTING OCCURRED LATE FRIDAY, SEVERAL KILOMETERS OUTSIDE THE CITY, ALONG THE THE ROAD FROM SARAJEVO TO THE TOWN OF KISELJAK, WHICH IS IN THE TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY BOSNIAN CROATS.

THE VICTIM, A WOMAN WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, WAS SHOT WHILE DRIVING WITH HER HUSBAND. THE ATTACKER WAS IN A PASSING CAR.

COLONEL MAX MARINER OF THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE FORCE IN BOSNIA TOLD REPORTERS THE VICTIM'S HUSBAND MANAGED TO FLAG DOWN A BRITISH MILITARY POLICE CAR ALONG THE ROAD WHICH BROUGHT THE WOMAN TO A HOSPITAL IN SARAJEVO. COLONEL MARINER SAID HER CONDITION WAS QUICKLY STABILIZED AND HE WAS PLEASED TO REPORT THAT SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE INCIDENT THE VICTIM'S LIFE WAS NOT IN DANGER.

A U-S EMBASSY SPOKESMAN, JIM HUTCHINSON, SAID THE IDENTITY AND THE MOTIVATION OF THE ATTACKER OR ATTACKERS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

COLONEL MARINER, WHEN ASKED BY REPORTERS, SAID AS FAR AS HE KNEW THE FRIDAY NIGHT ATTACK WAS THE ONLY VIOLENT INCIDENT REPORTED ALONG THAT STRETCH OF THE ROAD. IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST REPORTED CASE OF A U-S DIPLOMAT BEING SHOT AND WOUNDED IN BOSNIA. (SIGNED)
NEB/EH/DW/JM
13-Jul-96 9:39 AM EDT (1339 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] FRANCE PARADE (L/S) BY JULIAN NUNDY (PARIS)

INTRO: SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA WAS THE GUEST OF HONOR AT THE ANNUAL BASTILLE DAY PARADE SUNDAY IN PARIS -- MARKING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. JULIAN NUNDY REPORTS FROM PARIS.

TEXT: AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF TRADITIONAL MILITARY MARCHES, FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC TOOK THE SALUTE AS MORE THAN FOUR-THOUSAND MEN AND WOMEN -- FROM SOLDIERS BELONGING TO THE FOREIGN LEGION TO POLICE OFFICERS -- STAGED THE TRADITIONAL BASTILLE DAY PARADE ON PARIS' MAIN AVENUE, THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES. THIS YEAR, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA, WHO IS ON A FOUR-DAY STATE VISIT TO FRANCE, WAS THE GUEST OF HONOR AND HE STOOD BY MR. CHIRAC'S SIDE AS THE FRENCH PRESIDENT REVIEWED HIS TROOPS.

AFTER HIS ARRIVAL SATURDAY, MR. MANDELA THANKED MR. CHIRAC FOR PUTTING AID TO THE DEVELOPING WORLD AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA OF LAST MONTH'S GROUP OF SEVEN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES' SUMMIT. THE SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT IS SEEKING FRENCH INVESTMENT IN HIS COUNTRY.

MR. CHIRAC WAS PRESIDING OVER HIS SECOND BASTILLE DAY PARADE SINCE HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT 14-MONTHS AGO. SOME OF THE MARCHERS WERE FROM MILITARY REGIMENTS THAT WILL NOT EXIST BY THE YEAR 2000 BECAUSE OF FAR-REACHING DEFENSE CUTS ORDERED BY THE PRESIDENT.

IN A TELEVISION INTERVIEW AFTER THE PARADE, MR. CHIRAC TOUCHED ON A NUMBER OF DOMESTIC ISSUES, INCLUDING THE REFORM OF THE ARMED FORCES AND DEFENSE INDUSTRY THAT WILL BRING THE LOSS OF ABOUT 200-THOUSAND JOBS.

A NOVELTY OF THIS YEAR'S PARADE WAS THE PARTICIPATION OF EIGHT AIRCRAFT FROM BRITAIN'S ROYAL AIR FORCE IN A FLY-OVER CENTRAL PARIS. THEY WERE INVITED TO MARK THE CREATION LAST YEAR OF A JOINT FRANCO-BRITISH AIR FORCE COMMAND TO COOPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN CRISIS AREAS, SUCH AS BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA.

THE PRESENCE OF THE BRITISH PLANES ALSO HELPED ELIMINATE BAD MEMORIES OF THE 1994 BASTILLE DAY CEREMONIES WHEN FRANCE WITHDREW A SIMILAR INVITATION TO THE ROYAL AIR FORCE. THAT YEAR, GERMAN TROOPS MARCHED ALONGSIDE FRENCH SOLDIERS ON THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE WORLD WAR TWO GERMAN OCCUPATION OF FRANCE.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT DECIDED AGAINST INVITING BRITAIN ON THAT OCCASION BECAUSE IT SAID IT PREFERRED TO PUT THE EMPHASIS ON RECONCILIATION WITH GERMANY, RATHER THAN ON ITS WAR-TIME ALLIANCE WITH BRITAIN. (SIGNED)
NEB/JN/PCF/RAE
14-Jul-96 10:38 AM EDT (1438 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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