SARAJEVO, Oct 25 (Hina) - The US ambassador to Bosnia has told the Sarajevo authorities that his country is not satisfied with the replacement of only three Bosnian Serb officials directly involved in illegal military cooperation with
Iraq, and seeks further investigations and the punishment of all who were involved.
SARAJEVO, Oct 25 (Hina) - The US ambassador to Bosnia has told the
Sarajevo authorities that his country is not satisfied with the
replacement of only three Bosnian Serb officials directly involved
in illegal military cooperation with Iraq, and seeks further
investigations and the punishment of all who were involved. #L#
Ambassador Clifford Bond spoke about the scandal revolving around
the export of military equipment to Iraq with the mediation of the
Bjeljina-based "Orao" aviation institute with the chairman of the
Bosnian Presidency, Beriz Belkic, in Sarajevo on Friday.
According to a statement from the Presidency, Bond and Belkic are
agreed the replacement of Milan Prica, manager of "Orao", Lt. Col.
Miljan Vlacic, head of the Bosnian Serb air force, and Spasoje
Orasanin, head of the administration for trade in arms and military
equipment, are not enough and that investigations must continue.
The US maintains this case is not only a violation of the UN embargo
on arms exports to Iraq, but of the military part of the Dayton peace
agreement as well, which is why it insists on prosecuting Bosnian
Serb officials who are in the civilian line of command of the
military.
Even though the statement does not say so expressly, these
officials are the Bosnian Serb Defence Minister Slobodan Bilic and
President Mirko Sarovic.
Sarovic was elected as the Serb member for the collective state
Presidency. He should take the office next week.
Standing Commission on Military Issues secretary-general Stjepan
Pocrnja has said that possible sanctions, particularly economic
ones, would affect the whole country, regardless of the fact that
only the Serb entity, Republika Srpska, is responsible.
(hina) ha sb