SFOR HELICOPTERS LAND NEAR DUBROVNIK WITHOUT PERMISSION

ZAGREB, May 18 (Hina) - Two helicopters of NATO's Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia landed in a field near the southern Croatian seaport of Dubrovnik without Croatia's permission on Saturday. The reasons for the landing are unknown, the Croatian Interior Ministry said. #L# The helicopters with a dozen passengers flying from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik landed in a soccer field in the Gospino polje field, even though the Croatian government's office for relations with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe turned down their request to land there, suggesting they land at Dubrovnik's Cilipi airport. Eventually, they landed at Cilipi at 1.46 pm after first landing at Gospino polje and leaving the passengers at 1.34 pm. The passengers were led by Lt. Gen. John B. Cylvester, said the Interior Ministry, regretting that due to SFOR's security evaluation the helicopters did not land at Cilipi, where they were offered special security treatment. The Interior Ministry said this was not the first such case. In the past, the SFOR justified them with the SOFA agreement on the status of SFOR members on Croatian territory under which Croatia is obliged to ensure the undisturbed movement of SFOR members on its territory. (hina) ha sb