Voice of America, 96-07-06/07

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

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA/SARAJEVO (S FIRST UPDATE) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

[02] BOSNIA / GRAVES (S) BY DAVID FOLEY (SREBRENICA)

[03] RUSSIA POL/AFTERMATH BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[01] BOSNIA/SARAJEVO (S FIRST UPDATE) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: NATO OFFICIALS IN BOSNIA SAY A TENSE 24-HOUR STAND-OFF WITH THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY HAS ENDED. THE OFFICIALS SAY THAT, AFTER A NATO SHOW OF FORCE, THE BOSNIAN SERBS REMOVED TANKS AND OTHER ARMORED VEHICLES FROM NEAR THE SERB ARMY HEADQUARTERS. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: NATO OFFICIALS SAY BOSNIAN SERB ARMY OFFICERS COOPERATED FULLY WITH THE DEMANDS OF NATO COMMANDERS AFTER AMERICAN ARMORED UNITS AND ATTACK HELICOPTERS MOVED INTO THE AREA AROUND THE BOSNIAN SERBS ARMY HEADQUARTERS AT HAN PIJESAK IN EASTERN BOSNIA. THE 24 HOUR STAND-OFF BEGAN ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A NATO HELICOPTER SPOTTED AROUND SEVEN BOSNIAN SERB TANKS AND ARMORED VEHICLES IN AN UNAUTHORIZED LOCATION NEAR THE HEADQUARTERS. UNDER THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT, ARMORED VEHICLES MUST BE KEPT IN REGISTERED CANTONMENT SITES. THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF LATER ORDERED NATO TROOPS SENT IN TO INVESTIGATE TO LEAVE. THE NATO TROOPS REFUSED, AND ON SATURDAY AMERICAN ARMORED RE-INFORCEMENTS WERE BROUGHT INTO THE AREA.

NATO OFFICIALS SAY THE SERB TANKS AND OTHER VEHICLES HAVE NOW BEEN RETURNED TO AN AUTHORIZED STORAGE SITE. THE OFFICIALS SAY UP TO NOW BOSNIAN SERB COMPLIANCE WITH THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE DAYTON ACCORD HAS BEEN GOOD, AND THEY DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT AS A "HICCUP." SIGNED
NEB/DF/KL
06-Jul-96 5:39 PM EDT (2139 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] BOSNIA / GRAVES (S) BY DAVID FOLEY (SREBRENICA)

INTRO: INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEGUN DIGGING AT A MASS GRAVE SITE NEAR SREBRENICA IN EASTERN BOSNIA. THE INVESTIGATORS HOPE TO EXHUME AND IDENTIFY WHAT ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE BODIES OF THOUSANDS OF MUSLIMS ALLEGEDLY EXECUTED BY THE BOSNIAN SERB ARMY WHEN THE SREBRENICA ENCLAVE FELL A YEAR AGO. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SREBRENICA.

TEXT: THE COOL WATERS OF A SMALL STREAM FLOW NEXT TO THIS SPOT, AND IT IS SHADED BY TALL TREES. THE MASS GRAVE IS LITTLE MORE THAN A WIDE SPOT IN A ROUGH DIRT ROAD A FEW KILOMETERS FROM SREBRENICA. INVESTIGATORS FROM THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL ARE CLEARING BUSHES FROM THE SITE. MINE SNIFFING DOGS ARE LOOKING FOR LAND-MINES. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL MASS GRAVES WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND THE CHIEF INVESTIGATOR HERE, DR. WILLIAM HAGLUND, SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW MANY BODIES HIS TEAM WILL FIND.

HOW MANY WE DON'T KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE HERE. WE'RE HERE TO FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE. FOR INSTANCE THEIR SEX, THEIR AGE, THE KIND OF INJURIES THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN, THE WAY THEY DIED.

THEIR PAINSTAKING WORK WILL LIKELY TAKE MONTHS, AND THE EVIDENCE WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL, IN THE HOPE THAT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MASSACRE WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. (SIGNED)
NEB/DF/BD/LWM
07-Jul-96 5:28 PM EDT (2128 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] RUSSIA POL/AFTERMATH BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: NOW THAT HE HAS WON ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE, A PHYSICALLY WEAKENED RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN FACES A VARIETY OF DIFFICULT CHALLENGES. IN ADDITION TO REGAINING HIS HEALTH, THE RUSSIAN LEADER MUST QUICKLY SETTLE A BREWING KREMLIN POWER STRUGGLE. BUT AS PETER HEINLEIN AT VOA'S MOSCOW BUREAU REPORTS, MR. YELTSIN'S BIGGEST WORRY IS EXPECTED TO BE AN IMPENDING ECONOMIC CRISIS.

TEXT: THE ELECTION IS OVER. NOW THE HARD PART BEGINS.

DURING THE CAMPAIGN, 65-YEAR OLD BORIS YELTSIN AT TIMES SEEMED TWENTY YEARS YOUNGER. HE KEPT UP A FURIOUS PACE OF APPEARANCES THAT WORE DOWN EVEN HIS JUNIOR STAFF MEMBERS.

THE DEMANDING SCHEDULE EVENTUALLY TOOK ITS TOLL. A WEEK BEFORE ELECTION DAY, THE RUSSIAN LEADER DROPPED OUT OF SIGHT EXCEPT FOR A FEW CAREFULLY-EDITED TAPED TELEVISION APPEARANCES. KREMLIN INSIDERS PRIVATELY SAY HE IS SUFFERING FROM THE SAME HEART PROBLEMS THAT SIDELINED HIM MUCH OF LAST YEAR.

WITH MR. YELTSIN'S HEALTH IN DOUBT, A CONTEST FOR POWER AND INFLUENCE IS SHAPING UP INSIDE THE KREMLIN. SCOTT BRUCKNER, DIRECTOR OF THE MOSCOW OFFICE OF THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT, SAYS A PHYSICALLY WEAK PRESIDENT MEANS CONTINUING POLITICAL INSTABILITY FOR RUSSIA.

THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER HERE IS IF YELTSIN'S HEALTH WORSENS, THERE WILL BE A POWER VACUUM AND THERE WILL BE A FIGHT WITHIN THE KREMLIN FOR SOME FIGURE OR GROUP OF FIGURES TO EMERGE AS DOMINANT IN KREMLIN POLITICS. THERE'S A BIG OPENING FOR INSTABILITY.

AMONG THE MAIN CONTENDERS FOR POWER IS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER ALEXANDER LEBED. WHEN THE 46-YEAR OLD RETIRED GENERAL WAS APPOINTED LAST MONTH AFTER HIS UNSUCCESSFUL RACE FOR THE PRESIDENCY, BOTH RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN OBSERVERS CHEERED.

SCOTT BRUCKNER OF THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT SAYS MANY OF THOSE OBSERVERS HAVE SINCE CHANGED THEIR MINDS.

MR. LEBED HAS REVERTED BACK TO AN EXTRAORDINARILY HOSTILE NATIONALIST LINE OVER THE PAST WEEK AND A HALF, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFERENT LINE THAN HE WAS ESPOUSING DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

MR. LEBED HAS ALSO SAID HE WANTS TO BE VICE-PRESIDENT, A POST ABOLISHED AFTER THE ABORTIVE 1993 COUP. SUCH AMBITION HAS CLEARLY IRRITATED MANY IN THE KREMLIN, INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER VICTOR CHERNOMYRDIN, A LONG AND FAITHFUL YELTSIN ALLY.

IN WHAT WAS SEEN AS A CLEAR WARNING TO MR. LEBED, PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S FIRST ACTION AFTER HIS RE-ELECTION WAS TO ASK THE PRIME MINISTER TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. MR. LEBED ANSWERED WITH A CHALLENGE TO MR. CHERNOMYRDIN'S AUTHORITY, SUBMITTING TO MR. YELTSIN HIS OWN WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE POSTS HE OVERSEES AS SECURITY COUNCIL CHIEF.

THE PRESIDENT'S HEALTH, AS WELL AS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHO IS IN CONTROL IN THE KREMLIN HAVE MADE INVESTORS CAUTIOUS AT A TIME RUSSIAN MARKETS WERE EXPECTING A MUCH NEEDED INFUSION OF FOREIGN MONEY. A WORRIED ECONOMY MINISTER YEVGENY YASIN SAYS RUSSIA NEEDS 12-BILLION DOLLARS FOREIGN INVESTMENT A YEAR, COMPARED TO LESS THAN THREE-BILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR.

WITH TAX REVENUES DOWN 40 PERCENT IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, KREMLIN EXPERTS PREDICT A SERIOUS BUDGET CRISIS WITHIN MONTHS.

A WESTERN DIPLOMAT THIS WEEKEND SAID HE WAS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE POST-ELECTION OUTLOOK FOR RUSSIA. BUT HE QUALIFIED THAT OPTIMISM, SAYING "WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING WITH GREAT INTEREST WHAT COMES NEXT". (SIGNED)
NEB/PH/DW/SD
07-Jul-96 1:15 PM EDT (1715 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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