JELAVIC CLAIMS FEDERATION ARMY GENERAL HELPED PUT OUT FIRES

( Editorial: --> 7217 ) CAPLJINA, Aug 31 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia- Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) president Ante Jelavic has criticised a decision to suspend a Bosnian Croat general from his duties. On Sunday the Bosnian Presidency's Croat member Kresimir Zubak announced he had suspended Federation Army First Guards Corps commander General Stanko Sopta because of disallowed movements of his unit. Zubak also holds the office of the civil commander of Croat units in the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Army. Commenting on the decision, Jelavic said that as the Bosnian Federation Defence Minister he had personally commanded Sopta and 200 of his troops to join efforts to extinguish the recent fires on Croatia's southern Adriatic islands. In a statement to Hina on Sunday night, Zubak said that he had temporarily suspended Sopta at the request of SFOR commander General Eric Shinseki for several reasons, the most important being the fact that under General Sopta's leadership "HVO (Croatian Defence Council) members left the territory of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina". In a pre-election HDZ BiH gathering in Capljina (southern BH) on Sunday night, Jelavic said that the fires on the Croatian islands and the Peljesac peninsula had been put out with assistance from Austrians, Russians and the French, so why not Croats from Bosnia- Herzegovina. Zubak had based his decision "on the request of a foreigner, not his Defence Minister", Jelavic added. In his statement to Hina on Sunday night, Zubak also said that, simultaneously with his decision on Sopta's temporary suspension, he had sent a letter to the Joint Command and the Federation Defence Ministry requesting an investigation into the reasons why General Shinseki had made his request. Depending on the answers, Zubak said he would reach his final decision. General Sopta's office announced late Monday night that he would make no comment, since the Bosnian Federation Defence Ministry was in charge of the matter. (Hina) jfk jn /mbr 312314 MET aug 98