BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: U.S. DEFENCE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN CRITICISES A DELAY IN BOSNIAN MUNCIPAL ELECTIONS DURING A VISIT TO U.S. TROOPS IN TUZLA
Record ID:
649373
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: U.S. DEFENCE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN CRITICISES A DELAY IN BOSNIAN MUNCIPAL ELECTIONS DURING A VISIT TO U.S. TROOPS IN TUZLA
- Title: BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: U.S. DEFENCE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN CRITICISES A DELAY IN BOSNIAN MUNCIPAL ELECTIONS DURING A VISIT TO U.S. TROOPS IN TUZLA
- Date: 6th March 1997
- Summary: TUZLA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (MARCH 6, 1997) (RTV) LV/SLV HELICOPTERS COMING IN TO LAND (2 SHOTS) 0.09 SV TANK 0.13 LV U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN EMERGING FROM HELICOPTER 0.27 SLV OF U.S. SFOR SOLDIERS ON TANK 0.31 LV/CU/SV COHEN IN CANTEEN WITH TROOPS (3 SHOTS) 0.43 SLV U.S. SFOR TROOPS IN CAMP IN DOBOL 0.48 MCU OF COHEN ADDRESSING U.S. SFOR SOLDIERS SAYING "NATO FORCES WILL BE LEAVING AT THE END OF JUNE 1998 SO THERE'S MUCH TO BE DONE AND I'VE TOUCHED UPON SOME OF THE ISSUES INCLUDING THE NEED FOR HAVING AN ADEQUATE POLICE FORCE, HAVING ELECTIONS, STARTING TO HAVE THE ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, AND ALSO A CHANGE OF HEART. WE CANNOT MANDATE THAT, WE CANNOT IMPOSE THAT, ALL WE CAN DO IS GIVE THE PARTIES INVOLVED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT THE PEACE HOLDS A GREAT DEAL MORE PROMISE THAN A RETURN TO WAR. BUT WE WILL HAVE COMPLETED OUR MISSION AND WILL BE LEAVING AT THAT TIME." (ENGLISH) 1.28 LV/SV OF BASE (2 SHOTS) 1.39 SV COHEN WITH U.S. SOLDIERS 1.51 SLV TANK AND SOLDIERS 1.56 Initials S3 P3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 21st March 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TUZLA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINIA
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Topics: General,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA25WQOJMVNRMPGDCA0CGEAQ62J
- Story Text: U.S. Defence Secretary William Cohen has sharply criticised a new delay in Bosnian municipal elections, calling it another failure by outside civilian agencies helping rejuvenate the war-shattered country.
Speaking on Thursday (March 6) during a visit to U.S. troops in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, Cohen described the delay as disappointing, saying it "will complicate matters." Cohen has vowed to pull U.S. forces out of Bosnia by June 1998 even if war breaks out again.
Cohen had lunch with U.S. troops at camp Dobol near the tense northern Bosnian town of Brcko and was briefed by U.S. General George Joulwan, who commands all NATO forces in Europe, and senior U.S. officers in Bosnia.
He had his picture taken with dozens of American and Russian members of the NATO-led peacekeeping Bosnia force of 31,000 and said he was proud of the job they had done.
But he said that final peace was up to the former warring factions and that Serbs, Moslems and Croats must have a "change of heart" and realise that peacekeeping forces would not remain after mid-1998.
The secretary, who replaced William Perry in January, is nearing the end of a four-day trip to Germany, Bosnia, Italy and Belgium.
He has stressed repeatedly this week that some 8,000 U.S.
troops in the NATO-led force will leave Bosnia on schedule in mid-1998 and not return even if the war broke out again.
Cohen will fly from Rome to Brussels on Friday morning for a day of meetings with NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana and permanent representatives to the Atlantic Alliance before reutrning to Washington that night. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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