European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 31, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 31, 1995 bosnian crisis the stars and stripes Page 5 allies defend nato Blitz on serbs Russia is Only major country critical of wednesday s airstrikes Paris apr Western leaders defended their bombardment of bosnian serbian positions wednesday As a necessary response to the serbian Slaughter of 37 people at a Sarajevo marketplace. Russia the serbs traditional ally called the nato airstrikes cruel. Troops from nato and european countries launched a Blitz against serbian positions in Bosnia after the bosnian government threatened to pull out of peace talks unless Western countries responded to mondays shelling president Jacques Chirac of France said the bombardment a Marks our determination to make the Security zone around Sarajevo  the attacks were a a necessary and consistent reaction of the International Community a said foreign minister Klaus Kinkel of Germany a a those who terrorize tens of thousands of innocent people with artillery attacks sniping operations and the strangulation of the City of Sarajevo deserve a hard answer a he said. In London British prime minister John major said nato and . Nations a responded robustly and properly to mondays ruthless attack by the bosnian  a a a a a a and foreign affairs minister Andre our Lect of Canada said the strikes were needed to respond to the a a Barbaric shelling. A attacks on a Safe areas cannot be tolerated and will not go unanswered a he said in a statement. A these airstrikes demonstrate our resolve to respond to such outrages a Russia denounced the serbian attack and the nato airstrikes in the same  a we a condemn both the first act. And the bombing raids a president Boris Yeltsin said on russian television Quot and we still oppose the use of Force to solve the yugoslav crisis a his press Secretary Sergei Medvedev spoke to the itar Tass news Agency of Quot cruel Acu of bombing and shelling of serb positions by  the russians who like the serbs Are orthodox slavs traditionally have Allied a themselves with the serbs in the first official reaction from the bosnian serbian leadership it self styled foreign minister Aleksa Buha told the bosnian serbian news Agency Srna a Onato stepped Over the line of its involvement in the conflict a a alleged serb shelling of Sarajevo was not the real reason for this ridiculous act by the International Community Quot he said without elaborating. Some countries worried that the  endanger the peace process. Bosnia a president however said the attacks were a Long awaited sign a that we Are moving toward  a the world has finally done what it should have done a Long Long time ago a Alija ize Begovic told reporters outside Elysee Palace where he met with Chirac. A we see this not As the beginning of War but the beginning of  Page 1 officials said. There were no other reports of casualties. The overnight raids left Bright flashes of Light singing the sky. The spectacle awoke Sara Evans and Many were hanging out their windows to watch the assault on their serbian foes. Nato officials refused to specify which countries were involved in the raids but officials in Washington said 50 . Aircraft participated in the first1strike. Quot Quot a a a. French British and dutch planes also took part. On their fifth run planes struck in late afternoon near the bosnian serbian Headquarters in Pale Southeast of Sarajevo. A a a a a a. A. A a -. An army Barracks was hit and sources there said a major bosnian serbian air defense radar Complex on nearby mount Javorina had also been damage the French plane spiralled out of the sky then disappeared behind a Low Hill near the town. A blast apparently from a bomb exploded in front of the Hill As smoke apparently from an earlier bomb dissipated behind it. Then two parachutes drifted out of the sky. When bosnian serbian Leader Radovan Karadzic heard an Allied plane had been downed near Pale he leaned out the window of the Pale to building and shouted a find the pilots find the pilots a the United states had search and res Cue Crews in the area but it was not immediately Clear whether they were Janvier. Headed toward Pale to try to retrieve the French airmen. Karadzic who was thought to have been in Serbia called the nato strikes a a moral disaster for the Western world and for the .�?� because they had taken a Side in a civil War. A your tines Are holding firmly despite All this and because of it a he declared a your lines will hold even firmer and Well win in the end a he indicated he might pull out of the latest . Peace initiative. A i think those bombs can destroy the peace process too a Karadzic said. _ the president of Bosnia a Muslim led government Alija ize Begovic was in Paris where he had just concluded two Days of peace talks with . Assistant Secretary of state  welcomed the nato airstrikes As a Long awaited sign that Bosnia is a a moving toward peace Quot a the world has finally done what it should have done a Long Long time ago a ize Begovic told reporters. Holbrooke left Paris on wednesday for the serbian and yugoslav capital Belgrade to meet with president Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia. Milosevic who instigated the War but wants to end , sanctions against serbian led Yugoslavia is trying to pressure the bosnian serbs to accept a peace Deal. In a statement on official radio the serbian led yugoslav government in Belgrade demanded a an urgent halt to air attacks and implementation of Force of any kind a and called for peace talks. Us f-1q fighting Falcon nato airstrikes chronology of nato air actions in former Yugoslavia Fec 1994 . N8 fighters shoot Down four bosnian serbian warplanes violating a no Fly zone Over Centra Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the first military strike in nato s 45-Yearnstory b y aphl10,1994 two us f-1bs attack bosnian serbian positions near Gorade q . Safe area 35 Miles Southeast of Sarajevo. April 11 1994 . Marine f/a-18s attack serbian positions near Gorade reportedly destroying  respond by capturing Al strategic Points around a a a a 1. Aug. 5,1994 two . A to jets destroy in aging am tank weapon hear Sarajevo after Sertz 5teize heavy weapons from a u not guar ted comp Turkl. The weapons Are later returned. 1 a a a a a a. Diet 22,1994 nato be amp attack a set Biart tank near Sarajevo after serbs attack a  violating a no weapons zone around the City. Serbs respond by harassing. Place keeper delay a Corthoys. Munding helicopter flights and shutting Down a theraid Airth to Krajew a Novi 21,1994 nato warplanes bomb the air base in Sehah held Croatia used by i serbian planes to raid the neighbouring . Quot sate area of Bihac in Northwestern Bosnia v nov 23,1994r about 20 Nat it planes hit at East two serbian surface to air missile Sites near Bihar serbs take dozens fun. Peacekeepers hostage. May 25 nato jets Striko a bosnian serbian ammunition depot near the serbian. Stronghold of Pale outside Sarajevo after the serbs refuse to return heavy weapons taken from .-Guaided collection Sites. Amay 28 nato jets again attack the bosnian serbian ammunition dump near Pale. Serbs respond by taking More than 370 . Peacekeepers hostage. After serbian president Slobodan Milosevic intervenes the hostages Are released Over several l 1 a a a a it Kama a a july 11 nato jets attack bosnian Seibman tanks South of Srebrenick a . Quot Safe area in an attempt to protect dutch . Peacekeepers and 30,000 people in the town. Bosnian serbs overrun the town sending peacekeepers and refugees fleeing. Wednesday More than 60 aircraft launch natos biggest airstrikes against serbian targot3. The strikes come two Days after a mortar attack on Sarajevo kills 37 people. Source aps amps a smoke rises Over mount Ginan near Sarajevo after nato shelled and bombed serbian positions. The attacks began Early wednesday and May continue