Countries Commit To Bosnia Military

In what a U.S. official described Wednesday as a “major turning point,” Persian Gulf countries have agreed to chip in $100 million to upgrade the military of Bosnia’s Muslim-led government.

A White House announcement said a U.S. team led by presidential adviser Mack McLarty obtained the pledges during talks in the Persian Gulf in recent days with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

The statement offered no breakdown of the contributions and it was not clear whether each of the three contributed. It said President Clinton was deeply gratified by the generosity of the contributing states.

The United States has been eager to train and equip the Bosnian Federation to ensure it is able to defend itself after the NATO-led peacekeepers now in Bosnia withdraw.