BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: UNITED NATIONS OFFICERS SAY BOSNIA SERBS ARE WITHDRAWING BANNED ARTILLERY OUT OF U.N. HEAVY WEAPONS EXCLUSION ZONE AROUND SARAJEVO

Record ID: 230402

  • Title: BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: UNITED NATIONS OFFICERS SAY BOSNIA SERBS ARE WITHDRAWING BANNED ARTILLERY OUT OF U.N. HEAVY WEAPONS EXCLUSION ZONE AROUND SARAJEVO
  • Date: 21st September 1994
  • Summary: SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (SEPTEMBER 21, 1994) (AGENCY POOL - AVAILABLE ALL) 1. SV UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) OFFICERS LEAVING BUILDING 0.09 2. MS UNITED NATIONS COMMANDER IN BOSNIA LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR MICHAEL ROSE TALKING ABOUT THE SERBIAN WEAPONS AND THAT HE HAD ASSURANCES THAT THEY WILL BE REMOVED (ENGLISH) 0.54 3. SV REPORTERS 0.58 4. MS UNITED STATES (U.S.) ADMIRAL LEIGHTON SMITH SAYING HE TAKES THE PRESENCE OF SERBIAN WEAPONS WITHIN THE 20 KILOMETER (14 MILE) EXCLUSION ZONE VERY SERIOUSLY AND THAT THEY WILL REMOVE THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (ENGLISH) 1.28 4. GV NEWS CONFERENCE 1.32 TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 2: ROSE: "AS YOU KNOW WE TAKE ANY WEAPON WHICH IS WITHIN 20 KILOMETRES OF THE TOTAL EXCLUSION ZONE AS A VIOLATION. THERE WERE SIX FAIRLY OLD WEAPONS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED AND A NUMBER OF SUSPECTED WEAPONS AND I WENT TO SEE DR. KARADZIC SOME WEEKS AGO AND ASKED HIM TO REMOVE THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE AN IRRITATION RATHER THAN A DIRECT THREAT TO SARAJEVO...HE GAVE ME EVERY ASSURANCE AND INDEED I'VE SEEN THE OPERATION ORDER WRITTEN BY THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THEIR ARMY, GENERAL MILANOVIC, THAT THEY WOULD INDEED MOVE THOSE WEAPONS..A NUMBER OF THESE WEAPONS TO MY KNOWLEDGE HAVE BEEN REMOVED, AND I BELIEVE THEY HAD THE INTENT TO DO THIS AND WE ARE GOING TO START A PROGRAMME OF VERIFICATION TOMORROW." TRANSCRIPT OF SEQUENCE 4: SMITH: "I WOULD AGREE WITH GENERAL ROSE THAT WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE WEAPONS THAT ARE IN THE 20 KILOMETRE EXCLUSION ZONE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT MAKES ALL KINDS OF SENSE TO GET THOSE OUT.. IT WOULD CERTAINLY DEFUSE A PROBLEM.. I WOULD HOPE THAT THE VERIFICATION PROCESS THAT GENERAL ROSE TALKS ABOUT WILL SHOW THAT MR KARADZIC HAS KEPT HIS WORD AND HAS GOT THEM OUT." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 6th October 1994 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5N4ZCY8HJNDSB8E1K60EBQT1O
  • Story Text: United Nations (U.N.) officers said on Wednesday (September 21) that Bosnian Serbs were withdrawing banned guns out of the U.N.

    heavy weapons exclusion zone around Sarajevo as western powers pushed for isolating their political leadership.

    Senior U.N. sources said they threatened the Serbs with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) air strikes after several banned weapons were spotted inside the exclusion zone around the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

    The U.N. commander in Bosnia, Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Rose, objected to reporters using the word "ultimatum" or "deadline" but said the Serbs had agreed to remove six confirmed and 12 suspected weapons from the area by midnight (2200 GMT) on Wednesday.

    The U.N. planned on Thursday to monitor the exclusion zone around Sarajevo to ensure the guns had been withdrawn.

    Rose was speaking at Sarajevo airport after meeting United States (U.S.) Admiral Leighton Smith, commander of NATO's southern forces.

    Admiral Smith denied any differences of opinion between the U.N. and NATO about the use of air power in Bosnia.

    The Bosnian Serbs have constantly flouted the exclusion zone which the U.N. imposed in February.

    Western countries are pressing Rose to use NATO air power to punish the Bosnian Serb transgressions, but Russia strongly opposes allied bombing and peace negotiations could be further disrupted by a NATO attack.


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