USIA - State Department Report, 96-12-31

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From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>

REPORT: STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, TUESDAY, DEC. 31, 1996

(Bosnia/Iran) (370)

BOSNIA/IRAN -- Dinger refused to comment on a Los Angeles Times story that reported that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) allegedly discovered that Iran secretly gave at least $500,000 in cash to Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic for his fall election campaign. Dinger noted, however, that the United States is satisfied that Bosnia has broken its military links with Iran.

President Clinton certified in June that military and intelligence cooperation between the Bosnian and Iranian governments had been severed, Dinger said. "President Izetbegovic has clearly favored Bosnian security orientation toward the West," Dinger said.

Dinger added that "there is no evidence of any remaining organized military units of foreign forces in Bosnia. Nevertheless, we (the United States) remain watchful over Iranian activity in Bosnia. For that reason, last fall we established a joint commission with the Bosnian government to investigate and address any allegations of improper Iranian activity in Bosnia. That commission is functioning, and we think it is functioning effectively, and it's functioning satisfactorily to us."

Iranian "improper actions" are taken very seriously by the United States, Dinger said, noting that the U.S. government delayed delivery of military equipment to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina until the Bosnian government removed a deputy defense minister because of the minister's personal relationship with Iran which the United States found objectionable.

Dinger reiterated the U.S. government position that no country should have links of any type with Iran. "It is clear that there are links between Iran and Bosnia: They have an ambassador there; they have cultural centers set up. We object to those links," Dinger said. But he acknowledged that it is "Bosnia's decision as to what sort of cultural or economic or diplomatic relations it must have with Iran."

Dinger said that Izetbegovic's actions over the last months have convinced the United States that Izetbegovic "at the very least respects our concerns over Iranian influence; and we are satisfied that he is taking our concerns seriously and acting on our concerns."

From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov

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