ADMIRAL LEIGHTON SMITH GIVEN CEREMONIAL SEND-OFF IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Jul 30 (Hina) - The outgoing IFOR commander in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Admiral Leighton Smith, was given a solemn send-off at the Sarajevo airport, complete with a military ceremony. Admiral Smith is to be replaced by US Navy Admiral Joseph Lopez. Admiral Smith's open and friendly personality had won the sympathies of the Bosnian media, which invariably presented him as a resolute and capable officer who would not allow anyone to mess around with NATO. Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic, however, did not miss the occasion to point out to Admiral Smith that he had not completed his job. "The demarcation line in the Dobrinja neighbourhood has never been defined," he reminded Smith in a letter, adding that "IFOR's wavering and malleability had contributed to keeping the issue pending in a way that serves the interests of the Serb entity." Admiral Lopez is an officer with combat experience from Vietnam and a former Sixth Fleet commander. As the first man of NATO's Rapid Reaction forces in 1993, he already has some experience with the Bosnian war. But the challenge Lopez is going to face now is no longer open war but rather what has been termed "low-intensity conflicts". To deal with this challenge, fresh military police units equipped with jeeps and heavy machine-guns are on their way to Bosnia. IFOR commanders estimate that in the circumstances, such forces will be more effective than tanks and multiple rocket launchers. If, as has been announced, IFOR is dispatched to support the international police mission in Mostar, this will be the first big test for Admiral Lopez and his forces. (hina) mm as 301439 MET jul 96