DAY 1: Open threats

NBC TV "MEET THE PRESS"
August 27, 1995

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AND CANADIAN AFFAIRS RICHARD HOLBROOKE AND FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER BRENT SCOWCROFT DISCUSS FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES

SPEAKERS LIST:
BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NEWS
RICHARD HOLBROOKE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AND CANADIAN AFFAIRS
BRENT SCOWCROFT, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
BOB NOVACK, COLUMNIST.

MCMANUS: Secretary Holbrooke, let me follow that last point. You said that you're not seeing very much movement from the Bosnian Serbs. What leverage do you have on them? What are you telling them that should move them closer to you?...

HOLBROOKE: Doyle, I'd rather not go into the diplomatic details. I think secret negotiations have a right to remain somewhat secret. But I do want to make one thing clear. If this peace initiative does not get moving -- dramatically moving -- in the next week or two, the consequences will be very adverse to the Serbian goals.

One way or another, NATO will be heavily involved, and the Serbs don't want that. NATO will either assist the U.N. withdrawal, or there will be more active NATO air over the skies. These are not things the Serbs should want...

The threat was repeated by all major media.

Subject: U.S. says Serbs face NATO action if talks fail
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 95 16:20:02 PDT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Reuter) - U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke said Sunday the Bosnian Serbs faced tough NATO action unless there was swift progress toward a negotiated settlement of the Bosnian war....

"If this peace initiative does not get moving, dramatically moving in the next week or two, the consequences will be very adverse to the Serbian goals," Holbrooke, an assistant secretary of state, said on the NBC News program "Meet the Press."

BOSNIAN SERBS RISK NATO ATTACK, U.S. ASSERTS
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE, N.Y. Times News Service, 8/27/95

WASHINGTON Administration officials said Sunday that unless there is quick and significant progress on an American peace plan for the Balkans, the Bosnian Serbs could face a new round of NATO air strikes that might be extended to a six-month bombing campaign intended to "level the playing field" while the Bosnian army receives weapons from abroad.

Appearing on the NBC News program "Meet the Press," Richard C. Holbrooke, the administration's chief negotiator on the Balkans, said, "If this peace initiative does not get moving dramatically moving in the next week or two, the consequences will be very adverse to the Serbian goals."

Administration officials acknowledged that the threats are clearly designed to ratchet up pressure on the Bosnian Serbs before peace talks resume in Europe this week. The talks were delayed by the deaths of three American diplomats in a road accident outside Sarajevo nine days ago.

[ Markale market massacre #2 ]
[ Sarajevo staged atrocities ]

Where am I? PATH: Book of facts History of the Balkans Big powers and civil wars in Yugoslavia (How was Yugoslavia dismantled and why.) Proxies at work (Muslims, Croats and Albanians alike were only proxies of the big powers) - Croats are resurrecting Nazi Croatia - Muslims are resurrecting Turkish Empire - Kosovo Albanians are making Drug Haven The Aftermath