Voice of America, 96-10-20

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] KURDISH RIVALS BATTLE (L) BY EDWARD DE MARCO (ISTANBUL)

[02] EUROPE/MIDEAST BY LAURIE KASSMAN (CAIRO)

[03] BOSNIA / PARLIAMENT (L ONLY) BY JENNIFER GLASSE (SARAJEVO)

[01] KURDISH RIVALS BATTLE (L) BY EDWARD DE MARCO (ISTANBUL)

INTRO: RIVAL KURDISH FACTIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ SQUARED OFF SUNDAY NEAR A DAM ALONG THE ROUTE TO THE STRATEGIC CITY OF SULAIMANIYA. MEANWHILE, AS EDWARD DE MARCO REPORTS, THE UNITED STATES IS INTENSIFYING DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO HALT THE CONFLICT.

TEXT: THE DOKAN DAM LIES NEAR THE IRANIAN BORDER BETWEEN SULAIMANIYA AND IRBIL, THE REGIONAL STRONGHOLD SEIZED IN AUGUST BY IRAQI-BACKED FORCES OF THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY. K-D-P SOLDIERS ATTEMPTED SUNDAY TO ADVANCE TOWARD SULAIMANIYA, WHICH THEY LOST A WEEK AGO TO FORCES OF THE PATRIOTIC UNION OF KURDISTAN, SUPPORTED BY IRAN.

THE DOKAN DAM GENERATES ELECTRICITY FOR MUCH OF THE REGION, AND IS THE LAST MAJOR OBSTACLE ON THE WAY TO SULAIMANIYA.

REPORTS FROM THE AREA OF FIGHTING INDICATE THAT THE BAGHDAD-BACKED K-D-P MADE SLOW PROGRESS SUNDAY UNDER HEAVY SHELLING FROM THE P-U-K. MORE THAN A WEEK AGO THE P-U-K STAGED A COMEBACK IN NORTHERN IRAQ AND HAD PRESSED CLOSE TO IRBIL BEFORE BEING DRIVEN BACK TOWARD SULAIMANIYA.

AS THE FIGHTING CONTINUED IN NORTHERN IRAQ, THE UNITED STATES STEPPED UP EFFORTS TO MEDIATE A SETTLEMENT. VISITING U-S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE ROBERT PELLETREAU SCHEDULED TALKS IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY ON MONDAY WITH K-D-P LEADER MASSOUD BARZANI. MR. PELLETREAU IS TO MEET TUESDAY WITH P-U-K LEADER JALAL TALABANI.

THE UNITED STATES FEARS THE FIGHTING BETWEEN THE KURDISH GROUPS COULD BRING THEIR PATRONS, IRAN AND IRAQ, INTO DIRECT CONFLICT. EVEN BEFORE MR. BARZANI'S K-D-P TOOK IRBIL IN AUGUST WITH IRAQI HELP, THE UNITED STATES WAS WARNING OF SUCH A POSSIBILITY.

MR. TALABANI HAS CLAIMED THAT IRAQ HAS JOINED THE LATEST PUSH BY THE K-D-P, BUT THERE IS NO SIGN OF THAT ON THE GROUND.

TRYING TO BROKER A SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE WARRING KURDISH FACTIONS WILL PROVE TO BE NO EASY TASK FOR WASHINGTON. AS THE LATEST ROUND OF FIGHTING SHOWS, FOR NOW THE STRUGGLE FOR REGIONAL SUPREMACY OUTWEIGHS THE DESIRE FOR ETHNIC UNITY AMONG THE KURDS OF NORTHERN IRAQ. (SIGNED)
NEB/EDM/KL
20-Oct-96 5:26 PM EDT (2126 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] EUROPE/MIDEAST BY LAURIE KASSMAN (CAIRO)

INTRO: FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC IS CURRENTLY TOURING THE MIDDLE EAST -- INCLUDING SYRIA, ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN SELF-RULE AREA. AT THE SAME TIME, ITALY'S PRIME MINISTER IS TRAVELING TO EGYPT, IN YET ANOTHER SIGN OF EUROPEAN INTEREST IN STEPPING-UP INVOLVEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT A DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN NEGOTIATIONS IS NOT WHAT WASHINGTON OR ISRAEL IS LOOKING FOR. V-O-A MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT LAURIE KASSMAN HAS A LOOK AT EUROPE'S ROLE ON THE SIDELINES OF THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS.

TEXT: FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC RECEIVED A HERO'S WELCOME WHEN HE ARRIVED IN SYRIA ON THIS, HIS SECOND TRIP TO THE MIDDLE EAST IN LESS THAN A YEAR. LAST TIME HE VISITED LEBANON AND EGYPT. THIS TIME, HE HAS ADDED SYRIA, JORDAN, ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN SELF-RULE AREAS.

FRENCH DIPLOMATS SAY MR. CHIRAC IS RECONFIRMING HIS COMMITMENT TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND TO THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. ITALY'S PRIME MINISTER IS ON A WORKING VISIT TO EGYPT THIS WEEK, IN YET ANOTHER SIGN THAT EUROPE IS DETERMINED TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED. TWO WEEKS AGO, THE IRISH FOREIGN MINISTER MET WITH PALESTINIAN LEADER YASSER ARAFAT IN GAZA TO SEE WHAT MORE EUROPE COULD DO TO HELP ADVANCE THE PEACE PROCESS.

IN DAMASCUS SATURDAY, FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC WARNED THAT THE PEACE PROCESS IS IN DANGER. AND, HE CALLED FOR A LARGER EUROPEAN ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS -- CONTRIBUTING PROPOSALS, HE SAID, NOT JUST MONEY.

BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THE ISRAELIS AND AMERICANS HAVE SHUNNED UNTIL NOW. THE EUROPEAN UNION WAS REPRESENTED AT THE 1991 MADRID CONFERENCE THAT LAUNCHED THE PEACE PROCESS. BUT SO FAR, ONLY AMERICAN AND EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS HAVE PARTICIPATED AS MEDIATORS OR CONSULTANTS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND ITS ARAB PEACE PARTNERS.

ISRAEL HAS ALWAYS VIEWED EUROPE AS PRO-ARAB IN ITS COLLECTIVE ATTITUDE. ON SUNDAY, ISRAELI OFFICIALS REJECTED MR. CHIRAC'S SUGGESTIONS THAT EUROPE GET MORE INVOLVED IN THE PEACE TALKS. OFFICIALS WERE ALSO MIFFED THAT MR. CHIRAC HAD ARRANGED TO ADDRESS THE PALESTINIAN COUNCIL BUT NOT THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT.

ARAB OFFICIALS SAY A EUROPEAN ROLE COULD BALANCE WHAT THEY SEE AS WASHINGTON'S PRO-ISRAELI BIAS IN THE PEACE PROCESS. THEY WELCOMED THE THE FRENCH PEACE MISSION LAST APRIL TO HELP STOP THE FIGHTING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH MILITANTS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON.

THE NEWSPAPER, CALLED "THE MIDDLE EAST," SAYS FRANCE AND EUROPE COULD PLAY THE ROLE OF AN HONEST WITNESS AND REINFORCE THE NEED TO NEGOTIATE PEACE ON THE BASIS OF LAND FOR PEACE. SO FAR ISRAEL'S NEW PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, HAS REJECTED NEGOTIATIONS ON THE BASIS OF LAND FOR PEACE. ARAB LEADERS SAY THE PRINCIPLE WAS AGREED TO WHEN THE PROCESS WAS LAUNCHED FIVE YEARS AGO AND CANNOT BE CHANGED.

THE RENEWED EUROPEAN EFFORT TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN THE PEACE PROCESS COMES AT A CRITICAL TIME IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS ARE WRANGLING OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERIM AGREEMENTS AMID ARAB COMPLAINTS THAT ISRAEL IS NOT HONORING WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SIGNED. THE SYRIAN AND LEBANESE TRACKS HAVE BEEN STALLED FOR NEARLY NINE MONTHS. (SIGNED)
NEB/LK/PCF/SD
20-Oct-96 9:52 AM EDT (1352 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] BOSNIA / PARLIAMENT (L ONLY) BY JENNIFER GLASSE (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SERB REPUBLIC ASSEMBLY IN BOSNIA WAS INTERRUPTED BY A WALKOUT BY MUSLIM DEPUTIES WHO OBJECTED TO PARTS OF THE OATH OF OFFICE BECAUSE IT CONTAINED REFERENCES TO THE ORTHODOX RELIGION OF THE BOSNIAN SERBS. JENNIFER GLASSE REPORTS FOR V-O-A NEWS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: HELD IN THE SERB-CONTROLLED CITY OF BANJA LUKA, THE CEREMONY TO INAUGURATE THE SERB REPUBLIC ASSEMBLY WAS FULL OF SERB SYMBOLS. FLAGS AND ORTHODOX CROSSES HUNG ON THE WALLS; ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS LEADERS SAT WITH THE SERB DEPUTIES.

THE MUSLIM AND CROAT MEMBERS ELECTED TO THE ASSEMBLY STOOD WITH THE SERBS AS THE SERB ANTHEM WAS PLAYED AND WHILE A MOMENT OF SILENCE WAS OBSERVED IN MEMORY OF THOSE KILLED IN THE WAR.

BUT THE OATH OF OFFICE -- WHICH HAD A REFERENCE TO THE SERBS' ORTHODOX RELIGION -- PROVED TO BE TOO MUCH FOR ONE CROAT AND 14 OF 17 MUSLIMS IN ATTENDANCE. THEY REFUSED TO TAKE THE OATH AND LEFT THE HALL WHILE THE SERBS SWORE THEIR ALLEGIANCE.

THE MUSLIMS SAID THEY WOULD ATTEND THE REST OF THE SESSION, BUT THE DISAGREEMENT HIGHLIGHTS VAST DIFFERENCES THAT STILL REMAIN AMONG CROATS, MUSLIMS AND SERBS AND HOW THEY VIEW THE FUTURE OF BOSNIA.

IN HER SPEECH AT THE CEREMONY, THE BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT -- BILJANA PLAVSIC -- CALLED THE SERB REPUBLIC THE NATIONAL STATE OF THE SERB PEOPLE. BUT SHE SAID OTHERS WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT ITS VALUES AND DEFEND IT WITH THEIR LIVES ARE WELCOME. (SIGNED)
NEB/JG/KB/RRM
19-Oct-96 1:36 PM EDT (1736 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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