Скачать или смотреть USA: CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ALLEGEDLY EMBROILED IN ARMS SCANDAL

(6 Apr 1996) English/Nat

President Clinton is embroiled in controversy over claims that he authorised secret arms deals between Iran and the Bosnian Muslims.

An article in the Los Angeles Times reports the Clinton administration agreed to let Iran ship arms to the Bosnian government, while continuing to oppose lifting of the arms ban in public.

Front-page news for the Los Angeles Times, the Clinton administration allegedly embroiled in an arms scandal involving Iran and the Bosnian Muslims.

The paper reports that the president was secretly agreeing to let Iran ship weapons to the Bosnian government, while, in public speaking against a lifting of the ban.

At the time of the alleged secret deals, the Muslim-led government was under fierce attack from the better equipped Bosnian Serbs.

The State Department says the United States never directly broke the terms of the embargo.

SOUNDBITE:
The United States did not provide arms to the Bosnian government or to Croatia directly or indirectly. And that of course before November of '94 on it was illegal for us to enforce the arms embargo against third countries and this administration's view of the arms embargo is well-known.

According to arms experts, the weapons that did get through to the Bosnian Muslims made quite a difference, and were partly responsible for getting the parties to the negotiating table.

But Davies ruled out State Department support for arms deals between Iran and the Bosnian government.

SOUNDBITE:
Our position on any interaction between Bosnia and Iran is very clear: that we don't see it as positive beyond, of course, normal diplomatic relations which are fine, and we have no problem with that. But we believe that there shouldn't be any kind of cooperation occurring provision of aid in any form, certainly intelligence sharing -- those types of activities -- are simply not on from our standpoint and we've made that very clear to the Bosnian government.

SUPER CAPTION: Glyn Davies, State Department Spokesman

He said the administration continues to press the Bosnian government to abide by the provision in the Dayton peace accord which requires foreign military forces unconnected with NATO peacekeepers to leave the country.

SOUNDBITE:
Basically, there's been progress -- it's been insufficient -- what's important is that that progress continue to a point where there are no longer any foreign fighters in Bosnia. It's at that stage that we'll be able to go ahead with what I think is a very generous programme of training and equipping the Bosnian forces to ensure that once the implementation force pulls out of Bosnia there is a sufficient balance of power to prevent any side seeing any incentive to take up arms again.

SUPER CAPTION: Glyn Davies, State Department Spokesman

Senator Bob Dole has joined those calling for answers. He's asked four Senate committees to investigate the reports.

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