BANJA LUKA, March 18 (Hina) - Republika Srpska President Dragan Cavic on Tuesday admitted publicly that the aviation institute "Orao" from Bijeljina had violated the U.N.'s resolution banning arms export to Iraq.
BANJA LUKA, March 18 (Hina) - Republika Srpska President Dragan
Cavic on Tuesday admitted publicly that the aviation institute
"Orao" from Bijeljina had violated the U.N.'s resolution banning
arms export to Iraq. #L#
The resolution of the U.N. Security Council, which bans the export
of weapons and military equipment to Iraq, was violated in
Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by the
military-overhaul aviation institute "Orao" from Bijeljina and
companies "Rudi Cajavec" from Banja Luka, "Bratstvo" from Novi
Travnik, and "Vitezit" from Vitez, Cavic said today.
Cavic's office on Monday forwarded to the Stabilisation Force
commander, US General William Ward, a final report on the illegal
arms trade. The Bosnian Serb authorities had initially denied
having delivered arms to Iraq.
Cavic told reporters that more than a dozen officials, including
the Bosnian Serb army chief-of-staff, General Momir Zec, had been
replaced due to the affair, which he believed eliminated any
possibility of a similar scandal happening again in Republika
Srpska.
"The possible punishment of (Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency
chairman) Mirko Sarovic would set a precedent and have political
connotations, while sentencing Republika Srpska officials alone,
without insisting on the responsibility of officials in the
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, would cause a new wave of
mistrust towards international institutions among Bosnian Serbs,"
Cavic said.
"We admit our responsibility and expect the international
community to have a balanced approach because it has also been
established beyond any doubt that 'Bratstvo' from Novi Travnik
delivered cannons while 'Vitezit' from Vitez delivered powder
through its company in Lucani (Serbia)," Cavic said.
(hina) rml sb