IZETBEGOVIC SEEKS APOLOGY FROM AKASHI

SARAJEVO, Oct 7, (Hina) - Bosnian President, Alija Izetbegovic has sought an apology from UN special envoy Yasushi Akashi over what he regards as slanderous remarks yesterday about the Bosnian Army. Izetbegovic said that yesterday's action by Bosnian Army guerrillas on Mount Igman was not carried out at the demilitarised zone. Nor did it involve the use of forbidden heavy weapons. It was an attack at the headquarters of the Sarajevo brigade of the Serb army 3rd battalion. It was a military attack, no massacre or civilian massacre was committed, Izetbegovic stressed. Izetbegovic said that UNPROFOR statements were not unbiased but General Rose threatened the Bosnian Army with air strikes without first confirming what had really taken place. Izetbegovic stressed that the alarm around the incident was aimed at detracting attention from the continuous strangling of Sarajevo and the arms delivery from Serbia to Karadzic's army. "We have evidence that the border on the Drina river is not closed and we will publish that evidence soon," Izetbegovic said. Izetbegovic claims that some western newspapers had launched a campaign aimed at putting the aggressor on par with the victim. He also reiterated that Serbs were to blame for the continuation of the war. "The Serbs have forced us three times to the continue with the war," Izetbegovic said. "The first time with the aggression in 1992. The second time with the Serbs rejecting the Vance-Owen plan and the third time with their rejection of the Contact Group peace plan. "Instead of the Serbs carrying the blame, the blame is being thrown on the Bosnian side." He said that no one said a word over the Bosnian army losing 123 soldiers since the rejection of the latest peace plan. (Hina) jas sd ks 071931 MET oct 94