SARAJEVO, Oct 8 (Hina) - Local police and the NATO-led international peace keepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina have taken additional measures to step up security throughout the country in the wake of the U.S. and British strikes on
Afghanistan. Bosnian officials' first reactions are almost identical, and they express full support to measures aimed at punishing the perpetrators of terrorist acts. The Bosnian Presidency's Muslim member, Beriz Belkic, described the US and British operation against the Taliban regime as "expected and inevitable". Belkic hopes that the further course of the operation will proceed the same way it has started, i.e., that the targets of future strikes will be carefully chosen strategic facilities and that the suffering of innocent civilians will be avoided. He reiterated his country's firm commitment to its participation in an anti-terrorist coalition, adding Bosnia would take necessary
SARAJEVO, Oct 8 (Hina) - Local police and the NATO-led
international peace keepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina have taken
additional measures to step up security throughout the country in
the wake of the U.S. and British strikes on Afghanistan.
Bosnian officials' first reactions are almost identical, and they
express full support to measures aimed at punishing the
perpetrators of terrorist acts.
The Bosnian Presidency's Muslim member, Beriz Belkic, described
the US and British operation against the Taliban regime as
"expected and inevitable". Belkic hopes that the further course of
the operation will proceed the same way it has started, i.e., that
the targets of future strikes will be carefully chosen strategic
facilities and that the suffering of innocent civilians will be
avoided.
He reiterated his country's firm commitment to its participation in
an anti-terrorist coalition, adding Bosnia would take necessary
measures inside its borders as well as on the global scale, if asked
to do so.
The Croat-Muslim Federation's President, Karlo Filipovic,
assessed that the strikes on Afghanistan showed the entire
international community's determination to counter terrorism.
According to the latest estimates of the federal interior ministry,
the situation is the country is stable.
The Federation's deputy interior minister, Tomislav Limov, has
said the police had already drawn up plans for bolstering
security.
Security measures have been intensified particularly in Sarajevo
so as to protect many embassies, consulates and offices of
international organisations.
The Bosnian media are covering the military operation in
Afghanistan, but with much less publicity than shown during the
recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Less concern has been caused by possible revenge than by negative
reports on Bosnia, described by some foreign media as a possible
haven for Osama bin Laden's aides.
Last weekend, the Los Angles Times quoted some former and incumbent
US officials as claiming that hundreds of Islamic terrorists, who
obtained Bosnian citizenship during the war in this country, could
pose a potential terrorist threat for Europe and the United
States.
According to this newspaper, there are currently about 200
militants of foreign origin in Bosnia, and a dozen of them are
directly linked with terrorist activities.
Bosnia's authorities, asked to comment on such claims, have shown
substantial reservations towards those allegations.
Bosnia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ivica Misic, who is also the co-
ordinator of a special team for the anti-terrorist fight, has said
all serious indicators about threats are being checked. He also
warns that Bosnia is facing propaganda based on suspicious
grounds.
"We do not assert that (terrorists) are not here, but we do not have
evidence that they are really in the country" Misic said calling on
everybody who may have evidence to produce it.
(hina) ms