Soeharto ends Sarajevo trip safely

Soeharto ends Sarajevo trip safely

ZAGREB (JP): Alhamdulillah (All praise to Allah) was the first
phrase uttered by President Soeharto when his plane from Sarajevo
landed in Zagreb on Monday.

In fact, relief was all around as the plane carrying the
President and his entourage to Zagreb touched down safely.

Officials accompanying the President uttered the same phrase,
while security officers and Indonesian journalists awaiting his
return in Zagreb greeted him with "Welcome back Mr. President".

The president, smiling, responded, "Thank you."

The four hours Soeharto spent in Sarajevo were a source of
anxiety for the nation. All knew of the risk the President was
taking by entering a city that has been under siege for the last
three years and where snipers roam at will.

In Jakarta last Friday, Moslem preachers at various prayers
called on all Indonesians to pray for the safety of the head of
state.

Reports in Sarajevo said that the UN chartered plane had been
shot at by snipers as it was landing to collect the President for
his return to Zagreb. Apart from that, the rest of the
President's visit was quiet and incident-free.

Despite an earlier guarantee by the United Nations missions in
Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina for their safety, the President
and his 21-member entourage were still required to sign papers
absolving the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) of responsibility
for anything that may have happened to them on the way to
Sarajevo.

Soeharto was also asked to don a bullet proof vest before
boarding his flight to Sarajevo. An unconfirmed report suggested
that he did away with the uncomfortable vest.

The limited space on the plane also meant that a number of
Indonesia's special security forces sent to protect the President
were not able to board the flight to Sarajevo.

Some 24 hours earlier, the plane that was carrying UN Special
Envoy Yasushi Akashi was shot at as it was landing. No one was
hurt but it momentarily threw Soeharto's trip into doubt.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, who was part of the
presidential entourage, said the decision to go ahead with the
trip was last-minute. "We had to be sure first about the
situation there."

"It seemed like a long flight," Moerdiono recalled of the
journey from Zagreb to Sarajevo.

Brave

"I can say that President Soeharto is very brave to travel to
Sarajevo at this time," UNPROFOR director of information Michael
Williams said before the flight left for Sarajevo.

Soeharto's decision to go ahead with the trip was to show
Indonesia's support for Bosnia-Herzegovina in its war against the
well-armed Bosnian Serb minority.

Soeharto also went there as chairman of the 111-nation Non-
Aligned Movement (NAM).

Moerdiono said Soeharto went to Sarajevo to give Indonesian
moral support to the Bosnian people in their fight against the
Serb aggressors.

Also taking part in the trip to Sarajevo were Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal
Tanjung and Nana Sutresna, the chief executive to the NAM
Chairman. (riz)