VARIOUS: NATO'S TOP MILITARY OFFICER CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CROAT-MOSLEM FEDERATION

Record ID: 230587

  • Title: VARIOUS: NATO'S TOP MILITARY OFFICER CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CROAT-MOSLEM FEDERATION
  • Date: 27th March 1996
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES (MARCH 27, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) TUZLA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA/ WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES (MARCH 27-28, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) TUZLA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (MARCH 27-28, 1996) 1. LV: BUSES CARRYING BOSNIAN REFUGEES RETURNING (4 SHOTS) 0.27 2. MV: BOSNIAN MOTHER MEETING DAUGHTER AFTER THREE . YEARS' SEPARATION 0.37 3. GV: RETURNED REFUGEES TAKING BELONGINGS FROM BUS 0.43 4. MV: MOTHER WITH DAUGHTER, DAUGHTER SAYING HER HUSBAND WAS KILLED, LEAVING HER WITH TWO CHILDREN (SERBO-CROAT) 0.56 5. MV: HEAD OF UNHCR OFFICE IN TUZLA SALVATORE LOMBARDO SAYING THEY HOPE TO SEE ALL REFUGEES RETURNING BUT THE PROCESS REQUIRES TIME (ENGLISH) (AUDIO AS INCOMING) 1.16 WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES (MARCH 27, 1996) 6. GV/MV: NATO MILITARY COMMANDER, GEORGE JOULWAN, ON CONCERNS FOR MOSLEM-CROAT FEDERATION IN BOSNIA (ENGLISH) (3 SHOTS) 1.59 TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 5: LOMBARDO: "WE DO HAVE TO SEE IN THE SHORT, THE MEDIUM AND THE LONG TERM ALL THE BOSNIAN REFUGEES COMING BACK. BUT, AS WE HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR THE LAST WEEK, THIS IS A PROCESS WHICH WILL REQUIRE TIME." TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 6: JOULWAN: "WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FEDERATION. IT'S BEEN A CONSTANT CONCERN IN EVERY MEETING I'VE BEEN TO, FROM ROME TO GENEVA TO MOSCOW. PRIMARILY IT'S A POLITICAL ISSUE WHCIH NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BETWEEN BOTH FACTIONS. I WOULD HOPE THAT POLITICAL PRESSURE WOULD BE PUT TO BEAR AND TO ASSIST AND TO HELP TO ENSURE THAT THE FEDERATION CONTINUES TO OPERATE." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 11th April 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA6BGW893AV9NJ08RIRNLJC7UZN
  • Story Text: INTRO: NATO'S top military officer on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the survival of the Moslem-Croat alliance in Bosnia-Herzegovina while U.S. intelligence official warns hostilities may resume in the former Yugoslavia once IFOR forces pull out.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------- NATO's military commander said on Wednesday (March 27) the alliance was concerned about the survival of a very fragile Moslem-Croat federation in Bosnia, calling it a key to the durability of that country.

    "We are very concerned about the federation," United States (U.S.) Army General George Joulwan, commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces in Europe, told reporters. He said international political pressure should be mounted on Bosnian government and Croatian leaders to maintain their alliance to counter Bosnian Serb forces.

    Joulwan, head of NATO forces in Europe, met reporters to discuss the international peacekeeping effort by 60,000 troops in Bosnia. He was asked about reports that the Bosnian-Croat alliance was crumbling four months after a Bosnia peace agreement was reached in Dayton, Ohio.

    "It (the federation) has always been very fragile. That has been a constant concern at every meeting I've been to, particularly from Rome, to Geneva, to Moscow," he said.

    The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the two former warring factions of the federation had so far failed to agree on a flag, stamps, schooling, electricity use, telephone rates, customs levies and a host of other issues.

    "That entity is very important for the long-term durability of Bosnia-Herzegovina," Joulwan stressed. "And I would hope that political pressure would be put to bear and to assist and to help to assure that the federation continues to operate." He said peacekeeping troops had recently destroyed some bunkers and illegal "checkpoints" set up in ethnic enclaves in Bosnia to hinder the free flow of traffic and collect bribes.

    But he stressed that U.S., Russian and other international peacekeeping forces in Bosnia would not take a major part in civilian-led efforts to rebuild the country's infrastructure before they leave late this year.

    He said the next month would be a key to the peacekeeping effort as Moslem, Croat and Serb forces placed their weapons in storage areas under the supervision of peacekeeping troops, who would watch over them to make sure hostilities did not break out.


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