KL softens threat on Bosnian arms embargo

KL softens threat on Bosnian arms embargo

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has softened its threat to break the Bosnian arms embargo, saying the United Nations would probably prevent it from selling weapons to Bosnian government forces.

"NATO and the UN are very efficient when it comes to stopping supply to the Bosnians but not to the Serbs," Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was reported as saying by local news reports yesterday.

Mahathir had announced Saturday that Malaysia was willing to sell arms to Bosnian Moslem forces, calling the embargo a violation of the Bosnians' right to defend themselves against Serb attack.

He pulled back Sunday, saying Malaysia would not take a unilateral stand but would consult other members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) first.

The OIC -- during a meeting attended by Malaysia, Turkey, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Egypt in Geneva -- declared the international embargo "invalid" and said member countries would not abide by it.

Mahathir had also promised to beef up the weaponry of Malaysian troops serving as UN peacekeepers but said Malaysia did not have the necessary transport to send in the arms.

"We do not even have an aircraft there to get supplies to our troops," Mahathir said, adding that Malaysian troops were stationed in Serb-surrounded areas.

He said no further decisions would be made until he was briefed by Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who returned from the OIC meeting in Geneva Monday.

Critics of the embargo see it as having prolonged the 40-month-old Balkans conflict.

Mahathir on Friday also called for an international campaign to oust UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the UN special representative in Bosnia, Yasushi Akashi, "for telling lies and worsening the conflict in the former Yugoslav republic."

He also announced his decision not to attend the UN's 50th anniversary celebrations to be held in New York in October.

Malaysia's foreign ministry deputy secretary-general, Hasmy Agam, said Monday that Kuala Lumpur would not celebrate but would only "commemorate" the anniversary through activities at national level.