NATO TO CONDUCT EXERCISE IN BOSNIA TO SUPPORT DAYTON

( Editorial: --> 0028 ) ZAGREB, March 16 (Hina) - NATO is preparing a military exercise in Bosnia-Herzegovina in March and April, which will show its power and determination in the implemenation of the Dayton Accord, operations commander of the SFOR Headquarters in Zagreb, Col. Helmut Gollwitzer, said on Monday. Operation Dynamic Response will be held from 23 March to 7 April, showing NATO's power and determination to act swiftly should peace in the region be threatened. During the two weeks of operations, NATO's Strategic Reserve Forces (SRS) will show off their ability for extra-speedy response on the spot, quick combat action and assistance to SFOR. Dynamic Response will involve 2156 soldiers from six countries, who will conduct reconnaissance, patrolling and landing operations in several places in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as an air raid simulation on Sokolac (50km north-east of Sarajevo, in the Serb entity). The exercise will end with shooting practice using live ammunition in the Glamoc area (south-western Bosnia), which will be attended by NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana and NATO's Europe Commander, General Wesley Clark. The SRS is a 5,000-strong professional force which the SFOR commander in Bosnia-Herzegovina may call upon to assist the already deployed 32,000 SFOR troops, should he consider that peace was seriously threatened. "The reasons for this exercise are purely military," Col. Gollwitzer told Hina. Asked whether the exercise was aimed at exerting political pressure on the Bosnian Croat side, as some surmised, Gollwitzer said it was not, emphasising that the exercise would be conducted not only on territory controlled by Bosnian Croats but also on that controlled by Bosnian Muslims and Serbs. Concerning Croatia's participation, he stressed that Croatia's obligations to provide logistic support for the duration of the execise derived from a previous agreement with SFOR, which in turn was based on the Dayton Agreement. NATO would use Croatian territory only for the arrival and departure of troops, while the combat part of the exercise would only take place on Bosnian territory, Gollwitzer said. He noted that the Croatian authorities had been fully notified of the exercise and agreed to it. (hina) mm as/mb 161753 MET mar 98