WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has called on Yugoslavia and its neighbors to block military exports to Iraq.
U.S. officials said at least two companies in the Balkans have been
selling spare parts and upgrading military aircraft for Iraq. They said
Washington has presented this information to governments in the region.
The two companies were identified as Orao aviation, based in the
republic of Srpska, and Jugoimport, based in Yugoslavia. Spraska is in the
Serbian-controlled region of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Orao manufactures engine components for a range of Soviet-origin
aircraft. The company also produces and sells parts for the MiG-class
fighter-jet as well as air defense components, Middle East Newsline reported.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States has
obtained a pledge from those governments to investigate the allegations.
Boucher said Washington has presented to these governments "clear evidence"
of involvement of companies in Iraqi military projects.
"The officials have pledged a full investigation of these allegations,"
Boucher said on Tuesday. "The U.S. expects the relevant authorities in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Yugoslavia to undertake the necessary steps to
immediately halt any ongoing cooperation with Iraq, to conduct a thorough
investigation and to
hold accountable those responsible."
"It was refurbishing of military aircraft so it involves parts and
expertise and mechanics and things like that," Boucher said.
The spokesman said the State Department has not yet decided whether to
impose sanctions on these companies.
U.S. officials said Yugoslavia was a leading supplier to Iraq's military
programs in the 1990s. They said Belgrade agreed to launch an effort to end
military exports after President Slobodan Milosevic was voted out of office
more than two years ago.
Bosnian officials provided additional details of the aircraft upgrade. A
senior Bosnian Defense Ministry official, Stjepan Pocrnja, said the United
States has provided documents that Orao sold weapons parts to Iraq via
Jugoimport.
"They provided us with numerous photos, various materials, including a
business contract that confirmed that such trading took place," Pocrnja told
Bosnian television.
This was the second time in less than a month that the United States has
accused a European country of aiding Iraq's military programs. Earlier,
Washington said Ukraine had sold an advanced anti-aircraft radar to Baghdad.
