SFOR WON'T ALLOW DRAGGING ARMY INTO HEATED POLITICAL ARGUMENT

SARAJEVO, March 15 (Hina) - A political crisis in Bosnia- Herzegovina has not caused any incident which may require the engagement of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR). SFOR troops, however, are attentively following the developments on the ground and are prepared to react if necessary, British General Richard Dannatt, SFOR deputy commander, said in Sarajevo on Thursday. During an extraordinary press conference, Gen. Dannatt confirmed that SFOR was controlling all military facilities and installations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, including objects used by members of the Croat component of the Army of the (Croat-Moslem) Federation. He added that no unusual conduct of Croat members of the federal army had been noticed. Gen. Dannatt assessed that members of the Bosnian Croat Defence Council (HVO) had to date conducted in accordance to their professional duties and distanced themselves from the current political discussions. He described orders of the new federal defence minister, Mijo Anic, as encouraging under which HVO soldiers and officers were asked to respect rules of the federal army and not follow directions issued by the Croat National Assembly (HNS) and a former president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH), Ante Jelavic. The Briton stressed that Jelavic's dismissal from the Bosnian three-man Presidency was justified. SFOR deputy commander added that SFOR would not interfere in the current political discussions but it would take measures to prevent the HDZ-led Assembly from dragging the HVO into the polemics. (hina) sb ms