BOSNIA: BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE HOPE NATO AIRSTRIKE ON SERB MILITARY POSITION WILL BE BEGINNING OF STRONG ALLIED MESSAGE THAT ATTACKS ON UN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

Record ID: 342192

  • Title: BOSNIA: BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE HOPE NATO AIRSTRIKE ON SERB MILITARY POSITION WILL BE BEGINNING OF STRONG ALLIED MESSAGE THAT ATTACKS ON UN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
  • Date: 22nd September 1994
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (22 SEPTEMBER 1994) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV BOSNIA PRIME MINISTER HARIS SILADJZIC SPEAKING (ENGLISH) (3 SHOTS) 0.56 2. SV UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAYING THE U.S. WILL LIFT THE ARMS EMBARGO IF THE PEACE AGREEMENT DOES NOT WORK (ENGLISH) 1.26 3. GV UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER WITH JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER YOHEI KONO / PRESS (2 SHOTS) 1.33 4. CU CHRISTOPHER TALKING (ENGLISH) 1.49 5. GV LOBBY AREA OF UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL 1.57 6. CU BRITISH UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR SIR DAVID HANNAY SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 2.21 TRANSCRIPT OF SEQUENCE 1: SILADJZIC: "SOME ACTIONS ARE DUE, SPECIALLY AFTER WE HAVE SAID YES TO THE PEACE PLAN. THAT IS UNJUST IN ITSELF. AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AFTER THE PEACE PLAN IS EXCATLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAVE SARAJEVO STRANGULATED AGAIN, NO GAS, NO WATER SUPPLIES, NO ELECTRICITY. WE HAVE SAFE-AREAS ATTACKS. WE HAVE THE COMPLETION OF ETHNIC CLEANSING BY THE FASCIST SERBIAN FORCES AND NO ACTION. SOME ACTION MUST BE TAKEN AND I HOPE THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF IT." REPORTER: "DO YOU THINK THE U.S. SENATE WILL MAINTAIN ITS PROMISE?" SILADJZIC: "OF COURSE THAT'S A VERY SERIOUS DECISION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH."ALBRIGHT: "AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE A SCHEDULE HERE THAT IF THE MAP HAS NOT BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE BOSNIAN SERBS BY OCTOBER 15, ANYTIME AFTER THAT WE WILL BE OFFERING A LIFTING OF THE ARMS EMBARGO RESOLUTION. OBVIOUSLY THE CIRCUMSTANCES WILL DICTATE THE TIMING OF IT BUT THAT IS WHERE WE ARE." TRANSCRIPT OF SEQUENCE 4: CHRISTOPHER: "WE'LL SEE MORE OF IT IF THERE IS ENFORCEMENT CALLED FOR, IF THERE IS A VIOLATION OF THE EXCLUSION ZONE OR IF ATTACKS ON THE UNPROFOR TROOPS, WE'LL ALWAYS BE READY TO RESPOND AND WE'LL RESPOND." TRANSCRIPT OF SEQUENCE 6: HANNAY: "I'M VERY GLAD THAT THE BOSNIA SERB TANK THAT WAS IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE ULTIMATUM LAST FEBRUARY AND WHICH HAD LAUNCHED AN EXTRMELY BAD ATTACK ON A FRENCH ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER AND WOUNDED TWO OF ITS OCCUPANTS HAS BEEN DESTROYED. IT'S EXCATLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SHOW THE BOSNIAN SERBS THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE THEIR OWN WAY." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 7th October 1994 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES/ UNITED NATIONS
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA8FDOKFGZ4JHSUDK2PLF3BXTZF
  • Story Text: Bosnia's prime minister on Thursday (September 22) said he hoped the NATO airstrike on a Serb military position would be the beginning of a strong allied message that attacks on United Nations peacekeeping troops would not be tolerated.

    Haris Silajdzic said: "Sarajevo was strangulated again, no gas, no water supplies, no electricity. We have safe areas attacked. We have the completion of the ethnic cleansing...and no action. So, some action must be taken and I hope this is the beginning of it." Silajdzic was speaking before receiving a human rights award in Washington.

    Silajdzic was in the U.S. to continue pressure on Congress to lift the arms embargo on Bosnia's Moslems.

    U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher warned on Thursday of more NATO air strikes if Bosnian Serbs violate exclusion zones in Bosnia or attack United Nations peacekeepers there.

    Christopher, speaking as he posed for photographers with Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, was reacting to U.S. and British jets that strafed and bombed a Bosnian tank west of Sarajevo on Thursday in a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) strike prompted by Serb attacks on U.N. peacekeeping troops.

    "I think it's a very positive thing that NATO has responded ...

    The request came from UNPROFOR and the response was quick and determined," he said.

    Madeline Albright, the United States ambassador to the U.N., said Washington would press foward with a resolution to lift the arms embargo if the Bosnian Serbs do not accept the United Nation map for a partitioned Bosnia.

    "Bosnia is a continuing troubling situation that the international community has to address," she said.

    British U.N. ambassador Sir David Hannay said the NATO attack was "exactly what needs to be done".


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