Voice of America, 96-11-10

Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA/MLADIC (S ONLY) BY LAURA ROZEN (BANJA LUKA)

[02] CENTRAL EUROPE MEETING (S ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (PRAGUE)

[03] EUROPE/MIDEAST (S ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (CAIRO)

[04] MLADIC SACKING (S) BY LAURA KAY ROZEN (BANJA LUKA)

[05] U-S/BOSNIA/MLADIC (S ONLY) BY VICTOR BEATTIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] BOSNIA/MLADIC (S ONLY) BY LAURA ROZEN (BANJA LUKA)

INTRO: THE COMMANDER OF THE BOSNIAN SERB MILITARY, GENERAL RATKO MLADIC, HAS BEEN REPLACED. LAURA ROZEN REPORTS FROM BANJA LUKA.

TEXT: GENERAL MLADIC HAS BEEN REPLACED AS THE COMMANDER OF THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY GENERAL STAFF BY GENERAL PERO COLIC, WHO IS WELL RESPECTED AMONG BOSNIAN SERB SOLDIERS FOR HIS DEFENSE OF THE SERB KRAJINA LAST YEAR.

THE DECISION TO DISMISS GENERAL MLADIC WAS MADE BY BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC AND WAS CONFIRMED BY THE BOSNIAN SERB PARLIAMENT ON SATURDAY.

GENERAL MLADIC, WHO IS WANTED FOR WAR CRIMES, IS REPORTED TO BE SUFFERING FROM HEART PROBLEMS AND TO HAVE BEEN HOSPITAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS LAST WEEK IN THE SERB CAPITAL, BELGRADE.

BOSNIAN SERB SOLDIERS WHO ON SATURDAY THEY WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN LOYAL TO GENERAL MLADIC, SHOWED NO SIGNS OF MUTINY ON SUNDAY. GENERAL MLADIC'S CHIEF OF STAFF CLAIMED THAT PRESIDENT PLAVSIC DOES NOT HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FORCE THE GENERAL'S RETIREMENT.

HOWEVER NATO OFFICIALS INSIST AN ARTICLE IN THE CONSTITUTION GIVES HER THAT RIGHT. (SIGNED)
NEB/LR/DW/LWM
10-Nov-96 1:30 PM EST (1830 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America

[02] CENTRAL EUROPE MEETING (S ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (PRAGUE)

INTRO: A MEETING OF 16 MOSTLY CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN LEADERS IN GRAZ, AUSTRIA, HAS ENDED WITH DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHETHER SERB-LED YUGOSLAVIA SHOULD BE ADMITTED TO WHAT IS CALLED THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE, A FORUM FOR DISCUSSING REGIONAL ISSUES. V-O-A'S BARRY WOOD REPORTS.

TEXT: THE ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER TOLD REPORTERS THAT YUGOSLAVIA MUST BE KEPT OUT OF THE REGIONAL FORUM UNTIL THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IMPROVES IN THE KOSOVO REGION OF SERBIA, WHICH IS HOME TO NEARLY TWO MILLION ETHNIC ALBANIANS.

THE ALBANIAN OFFICIAL SAID IT IS TIME FOR THE YUGOSLAVS TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS THAT WOULD RESOLVE THE LONG FESTERING PROBLEM OF KOSOVO. THE ISSUE OF MINORITY RIGHTS WAS A DIVISIVE ONE DURING THE TWO DAYS OF TALKS IN GRAZ.

THE SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER SAID THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE HAS NO MANDATE TO INVOLVE ITSELF WITH MINORITY RIGHTS. THE SLOVAKS REFUSED TO HAVE THE MEETING ADD A STATEMENT ON MINORITY RIGHTS TO WHAT WAS OTHERWISE A BLAND FINAL DECLARATION.

THE LEADERS CALLED FOR INCREASED REGIONAL COOPERATION, PARTICULARLY IN TRANSPORT AND ENERGY AND FOR JOINT ACTION TO COMBAT ORGANIZED CRIME AND IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT.

MOLDOVA WAS ADMITTED AS A 16TH MEMBER OF THE FORUM, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER THE THE COLLAPSE OF THE BERLIN WALL IN 1989. (SIGNED)
NEB/BDW/DW/CF
09-Nov-96 10:27 AM EST (1527 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America

[03] EUROPE/MIDEAST (S ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (CAIRO)

INTRO: THE EUROPEAN UNION TROIKA OF PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE FOREIGN MINISTERS IS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO TALK ABOUT THE STALLED PEACE PROCESS AND HOW TO GET IT BACK ON TRACK. WE HAVE MORE FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT LAURIE KASSMAN,

TEXT: IRISH FOREIGN MINISTER DICK SPRING TOLD REPORTERS IN AMMAN THE EUROPEAN UNION IS WORRIED ABOUT THE STALLED PEACE PROCESS AND HE URGED ISRAEL TO IMPLEMENT ITS TROOP REDEPLOYMENT IN THE WEST BANK TOWN OF HEBRON. NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN SNAGGED OVER ISRAELI DEMANDS FOR SOME CHANGES IN THE ARRANGEMENTS BECAUSE OF SECURITY CONCERNS.

ISRAEL HAS NOT WELCOMED THE EUROPEAN UNION'S DECISION TO NAME A SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE REGION. BUT EUROPEAN OFFICIALS HAVE INSISTED THEY WILL NOT INTERFERE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH HAVE LARGELY TAKEN PLACE UNDER U-S MEDIATION.

THE EUROPEAN DELEGATION, REPRESENTING IRELAND, ITALY AND THE NETHERLANDS, HAS MET WITH SYRIA'S PRESIDENT HAFEZ EL ASSAD AND WITH JORDAN'S KING HUSSEIN. THEY WILL TALK WITH PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS IN GAZA AND THEN WITH PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK IN CAIRO ON MONDAY.

THERE ARE ALSO PLANS FOR THEM TO MEET WITH ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTER DAVID LEVY ON THE SIDELINES OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE, WHICH OPENS IN CAIRO ON TUESDAY (SIGNED)
NEB/LK/DW/LWM
10-Nov-96 10:40 AM EST (1540 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America

[04] MLADIC SACKING (S) BY LAURA KAY ROZEN (BANJA LUKA)

INTRO: NATO OFFICIALS ARE NOT CERTAIN WHO CONTROLS THE BOSNIAN SERB MILITARY, AFTER THE FIRING OF BOSNIAN SERB GENERAL RATKO MLADIC. LAURA ROZEN HAS A REPORT ON THE FIRING.

TEXT: EARLY SAURDAY MORNING, BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC APPEARED ON SERB TV TO SAY SHE HAD REPLACED THE COMMANDER OF THE BOSNIAN SERB MILITARY, GENERAL RATKO MLADIC, WHO IS WANTED FOR WAR CRIMES.

PRESIDENT PLAVSIC SAID GENERAL MLADIC WOULD BE SUCCEEDED BY GENERAL PERO COLIC. BUT BOSNIAN SERB OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT GENERAL MLADIC AND SAY THEY WILL ALWAYS REMAIN LOYAL TO HIM.

IT IS NOT CLEAR WHY PRESIDENT PLAVSIC CHOSE TO REPLACE GENERAL MLADIC AT THIS TIME, NOR IF SHE HAS THE POWER TO CARRY OUT HIS REMOVAL.

INTERNATIONAL OFFICIALS HAVE RECENTLY INCREASED THEIR PRESSURE ON BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIALS TO REMOVE INDICTED WAR CRIMINALS FROM PUBLIC OFFICE. FIVE INDICTED BOSNIAN SERB WAR CRIMINALS WERE DISCOVERED WORKING AS POLICE OFFICERS IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS. (SIGNED)
NEB/LKR/KL-T/KL
09-Nov-96 4:38 PM EST (2138 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America

[05] U-S/BOSNIA/MLADIC (S ONLY) BY VICTOR BEATTIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: THE UNITED STATES REMAINS SKEPTICAL OF THE DISMISSAL OF THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY COMMANDER, GENERAL RATKO MLADIC. HOWEVER, AS V-O-A'S VICTOR BEATTIE REPORTS, INTERNATIONAL CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR FOR BOSNIA, CARL BILDT, BELIEVES THE BOSNIAN SERB DECISION IS A SERIOUS EFFORT AT COMPLIANCE WITH THE DAYTON PEACE ACCORDS:

TEXT: A U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN SAYS WASHINGTON IS AWAITING THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS OF SATURDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT, NOTING A SIMILAR ANNOUNCEMENT REMOVING BOSNIAN SERB LEADER RADOVAN KARADZIC WAS REJECTED BY THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY:

WE HOPE THAT WILL NOT BE THE CASE THIS TIME AND ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.

THE SPOKESWOMAN URGES THE BOSNIAN SERB AUTHORITIES TO ABIDE FULLY WITH THE DAYTON PEACE ACCORDS BY ENSURING THAT INDICTED WAR CRIMINALS -- INCLUDING GENERAL MLADIC, MR. KARADZIC AND OTHERS -- APPEAR BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL IN THE HAGUE.

CARL BILDT SAYS HE BELIEVES THE BOSNIAN SERBS WILL STAND BY THEIR DECISION TO SACK GENERAL MLADIC:

I THINK THIS TIME THEY ARE SERIOUS. I THINK THIS TIME IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WILL HAPPEN WITHOUT AN ELEMENT OF DRAMA AND TURMOIL.

MR. BILDT SAYS IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE BOSNIAN SERB AUTHORITIES WILL DISMISS OTHER OFFICERS AS PART OF A REORGANIZATION OF ARMY COMMAND. HE SAYS SERB CIVIL AUTHORITIES ARE NOW IN A STRONGER POSITION THAN THE ARMY, LARGELY DUE TO ORGANIZATIONAL DISPUTES AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. (SIGNED)
NEB/VB/KL
09-Nov-96 7:47 PM EST (0047 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America

Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article