OGULIN CASE SHOULD SERVE TO LEARN -- ARMED FORCES GENERAL STAFF

ZAGREB, Nov 29 (Hina) - Croatian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Petar Stipetic informed President Stipe Mesic about the conclusions the Armed Forces General Staff had drawn with regards to a recent incident in a military barracks in Ogulin, during which 21 soldiers were injured. The general staff concluded those responsible at all levels should draw conclusions from the incident and all those who made this accident possible would be punished pursuant to the completion of the investigation. Mesic supported the conclusions and stressed the need for undertaking measures so such incidents could be avoided, the safety of people and defence readiness of the armed forces maintained, the President's Office said in a statement. During Tuesday's meeting at the operative centre of the General Staff, General Stipetic told the present it needed to be understood that the war was over and that adequate changes in conduct, work and thinking were necessary, especially in the training of individuals and troops. Stipetic stressed the need of revision of training programmes and plans, from which all unconnected with the acquiring the basic military knowledge and abilities should be discarded. The incident occurred on September 16, when a mine exploded during a regular procedure of weapons-cleaning which took place in a room with explosive devices. Five soldiers were heavily injured and sixteen suffered light injuries. (hina) lml jn