Voice of America, 16 September 1995

From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA FIGHTING (S-ONLY) BY WAYNE COREY (VIENNA)

INTRO: MUSLIM AND ETHNIC CROAT FORCES IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA ARE THREATENING TWO MORE SERB-HELD TOWNS IN WESTERN BOSNIA. THEY MAY BE IN A POSITION TO THREATEN THE KEY SERB STRONGHOLD OF BANJA LUKA. V-O-A'S CENTRAL EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT, WAYNE COREY, REPORTS.

TEXT: SARAJEVO RADIO REPORTS RAPIDLY ADVANCING BOSNIAN ARMY TROOPS HAVE REACHED THE OUTSKIRTS OF TWO TOWNS (BOSANSKI MOST AND PRIJEDOR) WEST AND NORTHWEST OF BANJA LUKA. THE RADIO SAYS SOME ARMY UNITS ARE ALREADY ADVANCING TOWARD BANJA LUKA ITSELF, THE LARGEST SERB-HELD TOWN IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. THE TOWN COULD ALSO BE THREATENED BY MUSLIM TROOPS WHO HAVE CAPTURED ANOTHER TOWN (KLUJC) TO THE SOUTH. INTERNATIONAL RELIEF OFFICIALS SAY THE SITUATION IN AND AROUND BANJA LUKA IS CHAOTIC. THE ROADS ARE CLOGGED BY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SERBS, UPROOTED FROM THEIR HOMES ELSEWHERE BY THE UNPRECEDNETED MUSLIM AND CROAT OFFENSIVE IN WEST AND CENTRAL BOSNIA. BANJA LUKA HAD A PRE-WAR POPULATION OF ABOUT 195-THOUSAND. MORE THAN HALF THE RESIDENTS THEN WERE ETHNIC SERBS. MOST OF THE MUSLIMS AND CROATS WHO LIVED THERE HAVE BEEN EXPELLED IN KEEPING WITH THE SERBS' ETHNIC-CLEANSING POLICY. THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF HAS PROMISED THAT BANJA LUKA WILL NOT BE ABANDONED. BUT, IF THE TOWN IS IN DANGER, THERE COULD BE A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS SERBS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. (SIGNED)

NEB/WC/SKH
16-Sep-95 7:26 PM EDT (2326 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.

[02] BOSNIA WEAPONS UPDATE (S ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: U-N OFFICIALS SAY THE BOSNIAN SERBS HAVE MOVED ONLY A FEW HEAVY WEAPONS OUT OF THE 20 KILOMETER EXCLUSION AROUND SARAJEVO, AND THE OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE SCEPTICAL THE BOSNIAN SERBS WILL COMPLY WITH THE LATEST AGREEMENT. HUMANITARIAN AID HAS CONTINUED TO ARRIVE IN SARAJEVO OVER NEWLY OPENED ROADS INTO THE CITY, BUT THE BOSNIAN SERBS HAVE BLOCKED A HEAVILY ARMED U-N CONVOY FROM OPENING A NEW ROUTE INTO THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: U-N OFFICIALS SAY ONLY A DOZEN BOSNIAN SERB HEAVY WEAPONS HAVE BEEN MOVED OUT OF THE EXCLUSION ZONE AROUND SARAJEVO, AND THE OFFICIALS WARN IF "SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS" OF WEAPONS ARE NOT REMOVED BEFORE THE NATO AND U-N DEADLINE EXPIRES ON SUNDAY NIGHT, AIR STRIKES WILL RESUME AGAIN.

HUMANITARIAN AID IS CONTINUING TO COME INTO SARAJEVO OVER THE NEWLY OPENED ROUTES INTO THE CITY, AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT HAVE RESUMED AID DELIVERIES TO THE CITY'S AIRPORT. BUT ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE BOSNIAN SERBS BLOCKED A HEAVILY ARMED BRITISH CONVOY FROM RE-OPENING THE MAIN AID ROUTE INTO SARAJEVO.

U-N OFFICIALS HAD SAID THEY WOULD ACCEPT NO INTERFERENCE FROM THE BOSNIAN SERBS, BUT THE CONVOY TURNED BACK AFTER OBJECTIONS BY LOCAL OFFICIALS IN HADZICI, A SERB CONTROLLED SUBURB OF SARAJEVO.

U-N OFFICIALS LATER SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO CREATE A "CONSENSUAL ENVIRONMENT" FOR THE AID ROUTES. THE OFFICIALS SAID THEIR FIRST PRIORITY IS THE WITHDRAWAL OF HEAVY WEAPONS, AND THEY DO NOT WISH TO "PROVOKE" THE SERBS AT THIS TIME. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/DW/GPT
16-Sep-95 12:05 PM EDT (1605 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.

[03] YUGO TALKS (S ONLY) BY WAYNE COREY (VIENNA)

INTRO: U-S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE IS HOLDING MORE TALKS WITH THE SERBIAN PRESIDENT, SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC, ON A PEACE AGREEMENT FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA. MR. HOLBROOKE FLEW TO BELGRADE AFTER BRIEFING THE BIG POWER CONTACT GROUP IN GENEVA ON THE SITUATION IN SARAJEVO. V-O-A'S CENTRAL EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT WAYNE COREY REPORTS.

TEXT: MR. HOLBROOKE AND PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC ARE DISCUSSING DETAILS OF A POSSIBLE PEACE SETTLEMENT FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND CROATIA. THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE MEETING HAS NOT BEEN REVEALED. AN AGREEMENT ON THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF A BOSNIAN PEACE PLAN WERE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK IN GENEVA. BUT THE MUSLIM-LED BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE SERBS HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THESE PRINCIPLES. THE MUSLIMS AND SERBS ALSO STILL DISAGREE ABOUT THE ALLOCATION OF TERRITORY TO THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION AND TO THE SERB REPUBLIC. THE MUSLIMS WANT AN UNDIVIDED SARAJEVO. THE SERBS DEMAND PART OF THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL. THE AMERICAN PEACE ENVOY PLANS TO FLY FROM BELGRADE TO SARAJEVO ON SUNDAY TO RESUME TALKS WITH BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC. MR. IZETBEGOVIC HAS NOT ACCEPTED THE TERMS UNDER WHICH THE SERBS ARE TO WITHDRAW ONLY THEIR HEAVIEST WEAPONS FROM THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL. HIS TALKS WITH MR. HOLBROOKE ARE EXPECTED TO FOCUS, AT LEAST INITIALLY, ON THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION IN SARAJEVO. (SIGNED)

NEB/WC/DW/GPT
16-Sep-95 11:44 AM EDT (1544 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America