Voice of America, 7 October 1995

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

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA/UTILITIES 2ND UPDATE (S ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS NOW SAY THEY ARE OPTIMISTIC UTILITIES WILL BE RESTORED TO SARAJEVO IN TIME FOR A BOSNIA-WIDE CEASE-FIRE TO GO INTO EFFECT LATE MONDAY NIGHT. OFFICIALS HAD SAID EARLIER THAT DELAYS BY THE BOSNIAN CROATS IN REMOVING MINES FROM AROUND DAMAGED ELECTRICAL POWER LINES COULD CAUSE THE CEASE-FIRE TO BE POSTPONED. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT HAS INSISTED ON THE RESTORATION OF GAS, ELECTRICITY AND WATER SUPPLIES TO SARAJEVO BEFORE THE CEASE-FIRE GOES INTO EFFECT ONE MINUTE AFTER MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY MORNING.

U-N OFFICIALS SAY THE WORK TO REMOVE MINES FROM AROUND THREE ELECTRICAL PYLONS ALONG A KILOMETER-LONG STRETCH OF DAMAGED POWER LINES IN BOSNIAN CROAT-CONTROLLED TERRITORY IS NOW UNDER WAY.

BOSNIAN CROAT OFFICIALS FINALLY MET WITH GOVERNMENT AND SERB OFFICIALS AT SARAJEVO'S U-N CONTROLLED AIRPORT TO AGREE ON THE MINE CLEARANCE OPERATION, WHICH IS BEING SUPERVISED BY U-N PEACE KEEPERS.

THE POWER LINES CROSS THE TERRITORY OF ALL THREE SIDES AND U-N OFFICIALS SAY MINES ON SERB-CONTROLLED TERRITORY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY REMOVED AND NO MINES WERE FOUND ON GOVERNMENT TERRITORY.

U-N OFFICIALS SAY THE MINE CLEARANCE OPERATION COULD BE COMPLETED ON SUNDAY AND THE OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE NOW "RATHER OPTIMISTIC" ELECTRICITY,K GAS AND WATER SUPPLIES COULD BE RESTORED TO THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL IN TIME FOR THE CEASE-FIRE TO GO INTO EFFECT AS PLANNED. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/DW/SD
07-Oct-95 2:18 PM EDT (1818 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] BOSNIA FIGHTING (S-ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: HEAVY FIGHTING BETWEEN BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT AND BOSNIAN SERB FORCES IS CONTINUING IN NORTHERN BOSNIA IN THE RUN-UP TO THE START OF A CEASE-FIRE EARLY TUESDAY (AT 12:01 AM LOCAL TIME). BOSNIAN ARMY SOURCES SAY BOSNIAN SERB AIRCRAFT HAVE ATTACKED GOVERNMENT POSITIONS NEAR BIHAC. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: WITH LESS THAN 48 HOURS LEFT BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START OF A 60-DAY BOSNIA-WIDE CEASE-FIRE, BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT AND CROAT TROOPS IN NORTHERN BOSNIA ARE BATTLING BOSNIAN SERB FORCES FOR CONTROL OF KEY TERRITORY. ALL SIDES ARE BELIEVED TO WANT TO GRAB AS MUCH TERRITORY AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF WHAT COULD BECOME A PERMANENT CEASE-FIRE.

BOSNIAN RADIO REPORTED GAINS BY THE GOVERNMENT ARMY IN NORTHERN BOSNIA NEAR THE SERB-CONTROLLED TOWN OF DOBOJ, WHICH THE BOSNIAN SERBS SAID WAS BEING SHELLED. MEANWHILE, IN NORTHWEST BOSNIA, GOVERNMENT TROOPS, BACKED BY 400 CROATIAN ARMY SOLDIERS, HAVE REPORTEDLY HALTED BOSNIAN SERB ADVANCES TOWARD THE KEY TOWNS OF BOSANSKI KRUPA AND KLJUC, BOTH CAPTURED FROM THE BOSNIAN SERBS LAST MONTH.

IN AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT, BOSNIAN ARMY OFFICIALS SAID BOSNIAN SERB WARPLANES HAD DROPPED AT LEAST ONE BOMB ON GOVERNMENT POSITIONS NEAR BIHAC, ALSO IN NORTHWEST BOSNIA. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/SKH
07-Oct-95 7:10 PM EDT (2310 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[03] U-S / RUSSIA / BOSNIA (S-ONLY) BY DOUGLAS ROBERTS (GENEVA)

INTRO: THE U-S AND RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTERS ARE IN GENEVA FOR A DAY OF TALKS (SUNDAY) EXPECTED TO FOCUS LARGELY ON RUSSIAN PARTICIPATION ALONGSIDE NATO IN AN EVENTUAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE FOR BOSNIA. VOA'S DOUGLAS ROBERTS IN GENEVA REPORTS THE COMMAND STRUCTURE FOR THE PEACE-KEEPING OPERATION IS THE KEY ISSUE IN SUNDAY'S MEETING BETWEEN DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM PERRY AND RUSSIA'S DEFENSE MINISTER PAVEL GRACHEV.

TEXT: NATO IS PREPARED TO DEPLOY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TROOPS IN BOSNIA WHEN AND IF THE WARRING FACTIONS SIGN A PEACE AGREEMENT. AND THE WESTERN ALLIANCE WANTS RUSSIAN TROOPS TO TAKE PART IN THE OPERATION. MOSCOW SAYS IT WILL PARTICIPATE, BUT INSISTS THAT RUSSIAN FORCES WILL NOT OPERATE UNDER NATO COMMAND. THAT IS THE ESSENTIAL PROBLEM CONFRONTING MR. PERRY AND DEFENSE MINISTER GRACHEV AT SUNDAY'S TALKS HERE. MR. PERRY SAYS NATO IS PREPARED TO BE FLEXIBLE IN EFFORTS TO WORK OUT DETAILS OF THE PEACE-KEEPING OPERATION. BUT HE ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE WESTERN ALLIANCE WILL NOT AGREE TO RUSSIA'S PROPOSAL FOR A JOINT COMMAND STRUCTURE. MR. PERRY PORTRAYS SUNDAY'S MEETING AS A FIRST TEST OF THE PROSPECTS FOR RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE PEACE-KEEPING OPERATION. THE ISSUE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE SETTLED BEFORE THE PLANNED RUSSIAN-AMERICAN SUMMIT CONFERENCE LATER THIS MONTH IN NEW YORK. (SIGNED)

NEB/DBR/SKH
07-Oct-95 6:13 PM EDT (2213 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America