Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 21, 1994 TAG: 9404210219
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Acknowledging that the situation in Gorazde is increasingly grim, Clinton urged NATO to ban all heavy weapons from Gorazde and other designated areas, as was done last month to break the siege of Sarajevo.
Clinton, at a White House news conference, said the Sarajevo approach was best despite apprehension among some allies.
``Under the Sarajevo model you can say, `OK, here's the safe zone; all the heavy weaponry has to be withdrawn or put under U.N. control, and if there's any violation by anybody, there can be air action,'' the president said. ``It is a much clearer thing.''
Clinton's plan is a shift in policy after months of indecision and takes the United States and its allies deeper into Bosnia's two-year civil war, which has left 200,000 people dead or missing.
NATO signaled it was willing to go along with Clinton's proposal but delayed final approval to give military advisers time to consider the best way to proceed.
Clinton also urged tightening sanctions on Serbia through stricter enforcement.
The president said the United States, Russia and European allies planned ``a major diplomatic initiative'' to end the strife in the former Yugoslavia. He did not provide details, saying they remain to be worked out.
``Air power alone will not settle this conflict,'' Clinton said. ``This conflict will have to be settled through negotiations.''
Before speaking, Clinton conferred by phone with Russian President Boris Yeltsin, French President Francois Mitterrand and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
Clinton said he personally favored dropping the arms embargo that has prevented outgunned Muslim forces from rearming. However, he said the allies continue to oppose him on that point.
There are six safe havens designated by the United Nations, including Sarajevo and Gorazde.
Sarajevo was singled out by NATO when the capital was besieged by Bosnian Serb artillery. NATO threatened the Serbs with punitive air strikes unless they removed their heavy weapons from a ``free zone'' around the city or placed them under the control of U.N. troops.
The Serbs generally complied, no air strikes were undertaken, and life in the city has been limping back to normal. However, the Serbs recently have seized or tried to reclaim some of their weapons by force and have not been punished.
Clinton had hesitated to extend the Sarajevo model to Gorazde, and the city fell under a murderous attack by the Serbs.
Asked if it was too late to save Gorazde, Clinton said: ``No.''
``It's too late for a lot of people who have been killed there,'' he said. But he said it could yet be restored as a safe haven if the Serbs would end their assault.
by CNB