Start Date For Main U.S. Force Pushed Back Again

Entry of the main body of American peacekeeping troops into Bosnia has been delayed until the final days of December or early January due to weather and other problems, the top U.S. military chief said Thursday.

Gen. John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the first ground link to Bosnia for the U.S. armed forces now gathering in southern Hungary won’t be established until late next week.

Meanwhile, the State Department said the United States will look to NATO ally Turkey to lead the effort to train and arm the outgunned Bosnian government army.

“Given Turkey’s geographic proximity, given Turkey’s historic and cultural links to the Bosnian people, and given the fact that Turkey is a valued NATO ally, we would expect that Turkey would play a role,” spokesman Nicholas Burns said.

He said the United States is committed to enhancing the Bosnian government’s ability to defend itself after the 60,000-strong NATO-led force, which includes 20,000 Americans, leaves the region.

The peace accord that ended the 3-yearlong war prohibits the arming of either side during the first 90 days of its implementation and allows delivery only of light weapons during the subsequent three months.

Several NATO countries contributing troops to the Bosnian operation oppose arming government forces. But last week the Republican-controlled Senate voted to approve deploying U.S. troops to Bosnia only if the Clinton administration ensures that the Muslim-Croat army will be trained and equipped to the level of its Serb adversaries.