VJESNIK COMMENTARY - "FEDERATION AS A STOPOVER"

ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - The Zagreb-based daily "Vjesnik" commented Monday on the policy of the Bosnian Moslem political leadership towards the Moslem-Croat Federation, in an article headlined "Federation as a Stopover." Quoting Federation president Kresimir Zubak as saying that to the Bosnian Croats the Federation was an end and to the Bosnian Moslems only a means to creating a unitary state, the article said in part: "Sarajevo is not shrinking from expanding the powers of the republican authorities at the expense of the federal authorities and from exerting more or less overt pressure on the (remaining) Croat population in Bosnian army-controlled territory. "Sarajevo's tactic includes increasingly closer cooperation with Iran and other Islamic countries whose policies are not aimed at bringing the Moslems closer to Europe and the West. "Nevertheless, the present moment of Croat-Bosniac (Moslem) relations demands, first of all, from the Croats to refrain from any rash reactions. On the contrary, they should provide new concrete evidence of their political will to build the Federation. "Of course, in a way, as President Zubak clearly said, 'which will not threaten their own ability and capability of responding to all other possibilities of resolving relations in Bosnia- Herzegovina and in the region.'" (hina) vm jn 111149 MET mar 96