THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 26, 1994 TAG: 9411260094
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: ZAGREB, CROATIA LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
As Serb forces penetrated deeper inside the Bosnian Muslim enclave of Bihac, NATO warplanes took to the skies Friday, threatening another major airstrike in a bid to prevent the rebel Serbs from capturing the haven.
NATO planes were ordered to conduct their third airstrike in five days against Serb targets late Friday after Serb troops lobbed more shells into civilian areas in Bihac.
But after flying over the area for nearly an hour and drawing some errant anti-aircraft fire, the planes could not find their targets and returned to their bases in Italy, U.N. officials said.
As the airstrike faltered - and U.N. officials worked frantically to broker a cease-fire - the U.S. European Command announced that three Norfolk-based amphibious ships, with 2,000 Marines aboard, are headed to the Adriatic.
The ships will be available in case U.N. troops and U.S. personnel need to be evacuated - if fighting and NATO air strikes on Bosnian Serb forces widen, U.S. officials said.
The vessels, the amphibious assault ship Nassau, the dock landing ship Gunston Hall and the amphibious transport dock ship Ponce, cut short a port visit to Toulon, France, and were to be under way sometime Friday night. The Pentagon declined comment on when they should arrive.
The European command, in a statement released by the Pentagon, called the deployment ``strictly precautionary.''
A Pentagon spokesman said there are no plans now to move the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, currently in the Persian Gulf, back to the Adriatic. The Ike is on a six-month cruise that is expected to include some exercises off the coast of the former Yugoslavia.
The Serbs are demanding that the mostly Muslim soldiers within the Bihac ``safe area'' be removed and the area demilitarized before they consent to a general cease-fire in Bosnia.
But in the absence of a firm deal, the Serbs appeared determined to intensify the military pressure.
U.N. military sources said the last line of the Bosnian government defenses appeared on the verge of collapse. They said most of the 20,000 troops in the Bosnian army's 5th Corps had melted away, and barely 400 soldiers were left. MEMO: Staff writer Dale Eisman contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
3 Norfolk ships are ordered to Adriatic Sea
Amphibious assault ship Nassau
Dock landing ship Gunston Hall
Amphibious transport dock ship Ponce
The ships are carrying a force of 2,000 Marines and about 4,000
sailors
by CNB