SARAJEVO, Oct 12 (Hina) - The chief commander of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, general John Sylvester, said he was satisfied with cooperation with Bosnia's authorities and measures taken in the fight
against terrorism. At a news conference held in Sarajevo Friday, Sylvester said they had established the necessary exchange of information, adding the local authorities acted in line with all SFOR warnings in time. Recent arrests were conducted after the SFOR had offered evidence on the intentions of some individuals to jeopardise the security of the SFOR or Bosnia, the U.S. general told the press conference. Bosnian Federation police have so far arrested four suspected terrorists. Three have been expelled and a naturalised Bosnian citizen, Bensay Belkacem, is still in custody in Sarajevo and under investigation after a telephone number of an associate of Osama bin Laden was foun
SARAJEVO, Oct 12 (Hina) - The chief commander of the NATO-led
Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, general John
Sylvester, said he was satisfied with cooperation with Bosnia's
authorities and measures taken in the fight against terrorism.
At a news conference held in Sarajevo Friday, Sylvester said they
had established the necessary exchange of information, adding the
local authorities acted in line with all SFOR warnings in time.
Recent arrests were conducted after the SFOR had offered evidence
on the intentions of some individuals to jeopardise the security of
the SFOR or Bosnia, the U.S. general told the press conference.
Bosnian Federation police have so far arrested four suspected
terrorists. Three have been expelled and a naturalised Bosnian
citizen, Bensay Belkacem, is still in custody in Sarajevo and under
investigation after a telephone number of an associate of Osama bin
Laden was found on him.
The SFOR commander believes that the presence of Mujaheden in
Bosnia is not a problem at this moment. He stressed that the
majority of Mujahedens left Bosnia after the end of the war, while
the rest of them left after the international community had taken
appropriate diplomatic and military measures. Those who have
completely integrated with the local community have stayed in
Bosnia, Sylvester said.
The U.S. general said at this moment there was no evidence on the
existence of some transnational terrorist strongholds in Bosnia.
Intensified security measures have been in force in Bosnia
Herzegovina since the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York
and US strikes on Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan, he stressed.
Sylvester said the operations in Afghanistan would not bring into
question the SFOR mission in Bosnia.
The general confirmed that the arrests of war crimes suspects,
particularly Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic remained the
priority of the SFOR.
We have general information on their whereabouts. The search will
continue and when we locate them we will take actions, the general
stressed.
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