SFOR BANS MILITARY EXERCISES IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Feb 11 (Hina) - The Stabilization Force (SFOR) Commander, General William Crouch, on Tuesday ordered that all military exercises of the Bosnian Serb forces, the Bosnian Army and the Bosnian Croat forces (HVO) should be immediately stopped and that reservists should be disbanded who had been invited to take part in the exercises. A spokesman for SFOR, Tony White, said in Sarajevo that all active and reserve units of all parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina must withdraw into barracks by noon 13 February and all reservists should be sent home by 06.00 p.m. on 13 February. A deputy to Gen. Crouch, General Roderick Cordy-Simpson conveyed the order to top commanders of the HVO, Bosnian Army and Bosnian Serb forces, at a session held at the SFOR headquarters in Ilidza outside Sarajevo. According to White, the measures were taken because of the SFOR concern about recent calls to members of reserve military units for exercises and because of a general increase in such military activities. The present moment is particularly sensitive as a decision on the status of Brcko will be soon announced. The SFOR maintains that responsible persons must take all measures to diminish possibilities of misunderstanding or conflict during this tense period, White said. He added that increasing military activities of all parties in Bosnia had been registered for fifteen days and that this constituted a threat to stability in the country. (hina) mm mš 111809 MET feb 97