SFOR DIDN'T TRY TO ARREST PLAVSIC BUT WANTED TO CHAT WITH IVANIC

SARAJEVO, June 1 (Hina) - Stabilisation Force (SFOR) troops did not try to apprehend Biljana Plavsic, nor did they have any connection with intentions about which some media in Bosnia-Herzegovina speculated, said a spokesman for the NATO-led SFOR, in Sarajevo on Thursday . The spokesman Yvon Desjarins dismissed rumours that SFOR had attempted to arrest an ex-President of the Republic of Srpska, Biljana Plavsic, in Banja Luka on Wednesday. Television of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Sarajevo press reported that on Wednesday armed SFOR troops had tried to enter a building in which Biljana Plavsic lives in Banja Luka. They were thwarted by Serb policemen who protect the facilities, according to the media. The SFOR spokesman explained that the media drew a wrong conclusion from mere misunderstanding. Namely, the SFOR members had a scheduled meeting with the President of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) Mladen Ivanic, and the PDP has offices in the same building where Plavsic lives. Neither the SFOR troops spoke a local language nor Serb cops could speak any world language and that's why international troops could not explain to local policemen their intention. Thus, the misunderstanding occurred. The meeting with Ivanic, however, was eventually held but with a delay. (hina) jn ms