• by IPS Correspondents (united nations)
• Saturday, November 19, 1994
• Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 19 (IPS) - The United Nations (U.N.) Security Council authorised the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Saturday to carry out air strikes on Croatia to reinforce defence of the Bihac protected zone of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In recent days, Serbian troops in Krajina (Croatia) have launched napalm and cluster bombs against densely populated areas of Bihac from within Croatian territory.

Passed unanimously, the Security Council resolution allows NATO to help Bosnian Serbs put an end to the offensive by the Muslim government by carrying out reprisals against the Croatian Serbs who attacked Bihac.

NATO is already authorised to use military force in Bosnia to defend U.N. troops, deter attacks on the civilian population in areas under U.N. protection and enforce the demilitarised zone around Sarajevo.

However, because the attacks on Bihac were carried out from Coratia, NATO preferred to let the Security Council assume the political responsibility of authorising military reprisals.

Bosnian Ambassador to the United Nations Mohamed Sacirbey criticised the move. He argued that it had delayed military action, and pointed out that previous Security Council resolutions had authorised NATO intervention in the area.

According to Sacirbey, "an attack from Krajina on UNPROFOR (U.N. Protection Force), on the civilian population, on our army or on any other part of Bosnia under any circumstances is a violation of our territorial sovereignty."

"The international borders of the Republic of Bosnia can not take lower priority under the U.N. Charter than the borders of the secure areas," he argued.

British Ambassador David Hannay - who proposed the resolution - refuted Sacirbey's accusations, saying "to suggest that this resolution is designed to delay action discredits the person making that accusation. This resolution is clear and direct."

Meanwhile, Croatian authorities were pleased with the measure. Ambassador Mario Nobilo said "the actions of the Krajina Serbs can not be tolerated. A solution must be found immediately."

He said the resolution reinforced Croatia's territorial integrity when the Croatian Serbs rejected an international plan for economic integration of Serbian-occupied territories.

The authorisation of the use of NATO air power in Croatia was considered along with a second measure to define the concept of the protected zones, which include six Bosnian cities.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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