HOLBROOKE ON POSSIBLE RECONFIGURING OF UN PRESENCE IN CROATIA

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Hina) - US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke announced on Thursday a possibility of UNPROFOR's remaining in Croatia in line with a changed mandate which would avoid the prolongation of the status quo that is unacceptable to Croatia. "With delicate negotiations continuing at this moment, all I can say now is that it should be possible to reconfigure the UN presence in Croatia to satisfy the most important legitimate concerns of the Croats and Serbs while keeping faith with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," Holbrooke said in his testimony to the US Congress International Relations Committee. Holbrooke said he had visited Zagreb on Monday to convey the message that US support the reintegration as the aim, but he believed that the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers would inevitably lead to the re-eruption of war. Holbrooke said he and Croatian President Tudjman had considered possibilities of the further presence of the international community in Croatia, and Holbrooke added that he was encouraged by President Tudjman's option for the peaceful solution. President Tudjman emphasized the importance of monitoring of the Croatian borders as to prevent the transportation of the Serbian military equipment and personnel into Croatia from Bosnia- Herzegovina and Serbia, according to Holbrooke's written testimony. The three-year-long stalemate made President Tudjman decide to end UNPROFOR's mandate in Croatia; Serbian President Milosevic in Belgrade rejected the peace plan of the Contact Group and Zagreb's proposal on recognizing Croatia; Croatian Serbs in Knin suspended talks with Zagreb; and this diminished reasons why Croatia should reconsider the change of the decision to expel UN forces. This caused the rising spiral of tension, and both sides were digging trenches - both literally and figuratively - so that clashes were likely to flare up around the areas which UN would leave, the testimony read. Holbrooke announced he would return to the region very soon. (hina) jn mms 092142 MET mar 95