PRESIDENT TUDJMAN'S LETTER TO ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC

ZAGREB, Dec 23 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman forwarded on Thursday a letter to President of the Presidency of Bosnia- Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic. At the beginning of the letter, President Tudjman said that upon arriving in Zagreb from Brussels, where he had attended talks on the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina, he was informed of the latest developments in central Bosnia. President Tudjman warned President Izetbegovic that he had been well acquainted with the objectives of the "White Road" humanitarian operation for central Bosnia, and that a relief convoy sponsored by the Embassy of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zagreb had reached Maglaj, without encountering a single incident, on Monday, December 20. The Croatian president went on to say that the convoy had undergone an unprecedented ordeal despite the agreement reached by their respective commissioners, Messrs. Granic and Silajdzic, and assurances repeatedly provided by the command of the Moslem armed forces. "I would like to remind you that the "White Road" convoy took more than ten days to cover about a hundred kilometres, that the convoy personnel were exposed to harsh winter conditions for fifty hours without a valid reason, that doctors travelling with the convoy were in the end not allowed to help the most seriously wounded in the Franciscan hospital at Nova Bila, that volunteer drivers, doctors, priests, nuns and journalists were being fired upon," said the letter. "I would also like to hear you explanation why shots were being fired at empty trucks on their way back, why convoy driver Ante Vlajic was killed and several people wounded, why about thirty trucks were hijacked and why the Moslem armed forces used those trucks in military operations against the Croatian Defence Council (HVO)," said the Croatian president. The letter went on to say that "it all happened during the peace talks in Geneva and Brussels on the future of your and my people. During that crucial stage of the talks, one of the most severe Moslem offensives on the remaining Croatian enclaves in Central Bosnia began. Twenty-four people were killed and forty-seven wounded so far, including an American journalist, in relentless attacks on Zepce, Vitez, Novi Travnik, Nova Bila, Busovaca, Kiseljak, Kresevo and the Uskoplje valley. Real objectives of the offensive are showed in intercepted message of the Bosnian Army Third Corps acting commander Dzemal Merdan: 1. "...destroy all life, including women, children and the aged in the region of Novi Travnik, Nova Bila, Vitez and Busovaca in order to link with the Moslem enclave of Stari Vitez - Kruscica. To that effect use all available artillery, infantry, chemical agents and all volunteers from the Islamic countries for the glory of magnificent All'ah..." It was also ordered to Moslem forces to advance in the direction of Pavlovica - Gornji Vakuf ( the direction of the attacked "White Road" convoy). All this, including suffering of people in the "White Road" convoy, happened in spite of the recent trilateral agreement reached in Geneva on full freedom of passage for humanitarian convoys on the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina and it happened only several hours before the Christmas ceasefire was to go into effect in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Such unallowed acts of your authorities and criminal operations of military formations, including many foreign mercenaries, are absolutely contrary not only to our mutual agreements, but also to fundamental principles of the international war and humanitarian laws and they will produce unfavorable effect on future humanitarian efforts of the international community and also on the course of the peace negotiations and the overall future of the relations between our countries and nations." President Tudjman warned Alija Izetbegovic in the letter that "the position of 1/4 of a million of refugees and displaced persons from Bosnia-Herzegovina, who found refugee on the territory of the Republic of Croatia and for whom Croatia have taken care since the very beginning of the war, does not depend only on good will, possibilities, or obligations the Croatian Government undertook, but also depends on feeling of the Croatian public." "Be sure that by unallowed acts in connection with the 'White Road' convoy, as well as by the general relentless offensive launched on Central Bosnia, you cause ill feeling in the Croatian public towards such a policy of the Moslem leadership. On the contrary, such acts caused extensive damage to vital interests of your compatriots and made more difficult their position, as well as establishing of friendly relations between the Moslem and Croat nations. Therefore, I'm appealing on you once again in order to immediately halt all offensive activities and cease fire in Central Bosnia, as a first step and sign that the negotiations can be resumed," said President Franjo Tudjman in his letter to Alija Izetbegovic. 231820 MET dec 93