UNPROFOR'S PRESS RELEASE ON KIDNAPPING INCIDENT

ZAGREB, Nov 12 (Hina) - Today's press release by the Zagreb UNPROFOR HQ on the incident that occurred on Nov 8, when two Croatian of the B-H Ministry of the Interior officials were kidnapped while escorting the Archbishop of Sarajevo Vinko Puljic, says that "the circumstances surrounding the incident are such that it can be considered as an organized ambush set up by the Bosnian Serbs, as Gen.Mladic personally cleared the convoy on Nov.7 and knew precisely who was on board." The release also says "the advisability of UNPROFOR's continued role in undertaking this types of mission for the Bosnia-Herzegovina Govt. is reevaluated, in the light of the fact that the Head of the Special Police Unit of the B-H ministry of the Interior and the Chief of Staff of the Political Police were added to the official delegation traveling with the Archbishop of Sarajevo without UNPROFOR's prior knowledge," and that " their presence could only have been remotely connected to the Archbishop's visit to Vares." In conclusion, the words by the UNPROFOR's Force Commander for the former Yugoslavia are quoted: "I deplore the fact that the Pale authorities did not respect the document signed by Gen.Milovanovic authorizing free passage for these individuals traveling under their real identity." (End) 121412 MET nov 93