PARTICIPANTS IN "DYNAMIC RESPONSE" MILITARY EXERCISE ARRIVE IN SPLIT

( Editorial: --> 1720 ) SPLIT, March 23 (Hina) - The first soldiers who will participate in the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) military exercise "Dynamic Response" in Bosnia-Herzegovina started arriving in Split County on Monday. One of the coordinators of the exercise, British Captain John Roofe is satisfied with the cooperation of Croatian police who are directing NATO vehicles towards the port of Ploce. The first battalion of Dutch marines and a Turkish unit are to arrive today and tomorrow. The main part of Dutch soldiers and their equipment arrive in Knin, from where they go to Split and further south towards the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Some of the Dutch and Turkish soldiers will arrive tonight and tomorrow at the airport in Kasteli near Split. Airport deputy director Pero Bilas said that the landing of NATO planes with soldiers was within the contracts and agreements according to which international civilian and military forces have been using Split airport for several years. Four hundred heavy trucks carrying tanks, heavy weaponry and soldiers will travel along the roads of Split County towards Bosnia-Herzegovina. That is why a commission for assessing possible damage to roads and vehicles by NATO convoys has been formed at the government level, said Ivo Peko, head of the County Office for Traffic. SFOR and NATO commanders in Bosnia expressed willingness to pay compensation for possible damage, he added. American and Italian marines, who are arriving directly in Ploce, from where they will go to Bosnia-Herzegovina, will on their way back use the Split North Port, where they will embark onto their ships on April 4. Six countries are participating in the SFOR military exercise, of whom four are NATO members - Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United States, while two others - Poland and Romania - are members of the "Partnership for Peace" programme. About 2,000 soldiers are participating in the exercise "Dynamic Response". (Hina) mm rm /mb , 231721 MET mar 98