US deal 'to end Bosnia war'
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Your support makes all the difference.THE UNITED STATES and its allies, including Russia, last night announced a long-awaited deal to stop the war in Bosnia.
The Americans will provide air cover for United Nations forces guarding safe areas for the embattled Bosnian Muslims and Croatia will be warned that it faces sanctions if it supports attacks by Bosnian Croats on Muslims.
The deal ends months of wrangling over policy among the US, Russia and Europe. It was announced after a meeting at the State Department in Washington between Warren Christopher, US Secretary of State, and the British, French, Russian and Spanish foreign ministers.
It was not clear what the deal meant for the UN-backed Vance-Owen peace plan but there was no mention of how to roll back the Serbian gains in Bosnia, as it envisaged.
The communique said the measures would include efforts to ensure that Serbia keeps its word not to send armaments to Bosnian Serb forces, and international monitors in Macedonia and Kosovo to prevent the conflict spreading.
The Bosnian Serb forces have seized about 70 per cent of Bosnian territory, pursued a policy of 'ethnic cleansing' designed to drive Muslims out of their homes, and refused to join the Muslims and Croats in accepting the Vance-Owen plan. The Croats are fighting the Muslims in separate conflicts in parts of Bosnia.
Mr Christopher, at a news conference with the other foreign ministers, ruled out sending US ground troops to Bosnia or other areas in the Balkans.
President Clinton had pressed for ending an arms embargo against the Bosnian Muslims and backing it with allied air strikes on Bosnian Serb artillery positions. But the Russians and Europeans strongly opposed that strategy, arguing it would only have spread the conflict and endangered the peace-keeping troops that Britain, France, Spain and Canada have deployed in Bosnia.
'We are determined that the international community will act together, based upon shared responsibilities and a common purpose to bring increased pressure to bear on those engaged in the conflict in Bosnia,' Mr Christopher said.
He said the communique set forth 'specific, concrete steps' the allies are prepared to take, including continuation of humanitarian assistance to war victims and rigorous enforcement of sanctions previously imposed on Serbia and Montenegro, the regions that make up the remaining Yugoslav Republic and have supported the Bosnian Serbs.
He pledged continued enforcement of the previously established no-fly zone over Bosnia and support for the 'rapid establishment' of a war crimes tribunal.
Mr Christopher was joined by the Foreign Secretary, Douglas Hurd, the Russian Foreign Minister, Andrei Kozyrev, the French Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, and the Spanish Foreign Minister, Javier Solana.
A senior British official said more soldiers will be needed to maintain the safe enclaves, but not from Britain which already has troops on the ground. He said Russia was likely to supply some forces.
If Bosnian Serb artillery continues to endanger UN troops by bombarding safe areas, then the military commanders on the ground would take the decision to call in air strikes. There will be no reference back to national capitals for a political decision on using force.
'It will send a firm signal to the Serbs,' said an official. The Russians are to send a senior diplomat to Belgrade this weekend.
The US and its allies also want to make clear that, while the intention of the agreement is to freeze the present situation, they are still committed to rolling back the Serbian advance. They hope to do this by strengthened monitoring of the Bosnian-Serb border.
A new Security Council resolution will spell out the rules of engagement for the United Nations troops. Given that the US commitment is to use air strikes to protect UN troops it is not clear what would happen if Serbian artillery hit Bosnian civlians but not the UN. 'Safe areas do not imply everybody will be safe,' said an official.
As the allies talked, at least 12 people were killed and more than 80 wounded in and around Sarajevo in some of the worst shelling for weeks.
A deputy prime minister in the Muslim-led government, Zlatko Lagumdzija, was among those injured.
Further reports, page 15
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