Voice of America, 25 November 1995

[03] BOSNIA/SARAJEVO (S ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (GRBAVICA)

INTRO: RESIDENTS OF A BOSNIAN-SERB PART OF SARAJEVO HAVE HELD A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE BOSNIAN PEACE AGREEMENT AND SAY THEY WILL NEVER LEAVE THEIR HOMES. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL, UNDER THE AGREEMENT MOST SERB-CONTROLLED AREAS OF SARAJEVO WILL COME UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL.

TEXT: // OPENS WITH SOUND, FADES UNDER // ALMOST ONE-THOUSAND BOSNIAN-SERB RESIDENTS OF THE FRONT-LINE SARAJEVO NEIGHBORHOOD OF GRBAVICA ARE DEMONSTRATING TO SHOW THEIR DEFIANCE OF THE DAYTON PEACE PLAN, WHICH CALLS FOR GRBAVICA AND MOST SERB AREAS OF THE CAPITAL TO BE TURNED OVER TO GOVERNMENT CONTROL.

BOSNIAN-SERB LEADER RADOVAN KARADZIC SPOKE FRIDAY FOR TWO HOURS ON TELEVISION TO TRY TO JUSTIFY THE AGREEMENT, INSISTING THE CONFLICT HAD NOW CHANGED FROM A MILITARY TO A POLITICAL STRUGGLE. BUT PEOPLE IN SARAJEVO SAY THE TERRITORIAL CONCESSIONS ARE A BETRAYAL OF EVERYTHING THEY HAVE FOUGHT FOR.

THE BOSNIAN SERBS SAY 150-THOUSAND PEOPLE LIVE IN THE DISPUTED AREAS, BUT U-N OFFICIALS SAY THE NUMBER IS CLOSER TO 40-THOUSAND. WHICHEVER FIGURE IS CORRECT THE DEMONSTRATORS SAY ALMOST EVERYONE WILL LEAVE BEFORE THEY WILL LIVE UNDER -- WHAT THEY CALL -- MUSLIM DOMINATION.

DESPITE THE ANGRY RHETORIC, A NUMBER OF DEMONSTRATORS SAID THEY MIGHT CONSIDER STAYING IF A STRONG FORCE OF NATO SOLDIERS WERE HERE TO PROTECT THEM. THIS IS SEEN AS A HOPEFUL SIGN, BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE'S FEARS AND ANGER ARE NOW THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO ACHIEVING LASTING PEACE IN BOSNIA. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/DW/RAE
25-Nov-95 12:30 PM EST (1730 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[04] CLINTON / BOSNIA ALTERNATE (S&L) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS SPENDING THE WEEKEND AT THE CAMP DAVID PRESIDENTIAL RETREAT OUTSIDE WASHINGTON, WHERE HE IS PREPARING AN ADDRESS TO THE NATION, TO BE DELIVERED MONDAY. HE IS TO EXPLAIN WHY THE UNITED STATES IS SENDING U-S PEACEKEEPING TROOPS TO BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. V-O-A WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DEBORAH TATE REPORTS MR. CLINTON OFFERED A PREVIEW OF HIS SPEECH SATURDAY, IN HIS WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS.

TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON -- NOTING THE UNITED STATES LED DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS RESULTING IN A BOSNIAN PEACE AGREEMENT -- SAYS THE NATION NOW HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE ACCORD IS IMPLEMENTED.

MR. CLINTON SAYS THE UNITED STATES, AS LEADER OF NATO, MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE PEACEKEEPING MISSION LED BY THE ALLIANCE.

WITHOUT OUR SUPPORT THE HARD-WON PEACE WOULD BE LOST, THE TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER WOULD RESUME, THE CONFLICT THAT ALREADY HAS CLAIMED SO MANY LIVES COULD SPREAD LIKE A CANCER THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

BUT MANY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REMAIN SKEPTICAL ABOUT U-S PLANS TO PROVIDE ONE-THIRD OF THE 60-THOUSAND MEMBER NATO PEACEKEEPING FORCE.

IN THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT'S RADIO ADDRESS, CONGRESSWOMAN SUSAN MOLINARI OF NEW YORK EXPRESSED UNEASE ABOUT A MISSION SHE SAYS IS AIMED AT PROTECTING TERRITORY GAINED THROUGH HUMAN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ALL AMERICAN AND OTHER NATO FORCES AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING IN THE IMPLEMENTATION FORCE. HE SAYS NO EFFORT OR RESOURCE WILL BE SPARED TO ENSURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FORCE.

IN HIS LETTER, MR. MILOSEVIC, WHO NEGOTIATED THIS WEEK'S PEACE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE BOSNIAN SERBS, SAYS SERBIA WILL TAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS TO ENSURE THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA FULLY RESPECTS AND COMPLIES WITH THE AGREEMENT AND ITS ANNEXES.

WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN BRIAN CULLEN SAYS THE LETTERS ARE PART OF AN OVER-ALL PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY TO WIN OVER AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION:

THESE LETTERS, AS IMPORTANT AS THEY ARE, ARE JUST A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AND THIS PUZZLE IS TO A CONFIDENCE IN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND THAT WE ARE ENSURING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY AS BEST WE CAN OF U-S FORCES THAT MAY GO TO THE BALKANS.

PRESIDENT CLINTON IS PLANNING TO DISCUSS BOSNIA IN HIS SATURDAY RADIO ADDRESS, A REHEARSAL FOR A NATIONALLY-TELEVISED ADDRESS TO THE NATION ON THE SAME ISSUE LATE MONDAY.

CONGRESS IS BALKING AT APPROVING THE DEPLOYMENT BECAUSE OF BOTH THE RISK AND PRICE TAG. THEY POINT TO PUBLIC OPINION POLLS SHOWING WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION TO THE MISSION. (SIGNED). NEB/PT 24-Nov-95 8:19 PM EST (0119 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America