Classified Briefing Yields No Comment by Senators
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Investigators briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday on a report said to conclude that the Clinton administration created the impression in 1994 that it supported arms shipments to Bosnia.Senators including Republican Chairman Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania had no comment on the briefing even though Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole has ordered Senate hearings on whether President Clinton violated the Bosnia arms embargo by approving Iranian arms shipments to Bosnia.
Senators would say only that Anthony Harrington, head of the administration's own Intelligence Oversight Board, gave them an unusual off-the-record briefing, meaning it amounted to an informal though classified briefing.
Report Said to Vincidcate Clinton Administration
The Washington Post said the report concluded that the United States in fact did not break the Bosnia arms embargo by directly aiding arms supplies by Iran and other Muslim countries to the predominantly Muslim Bosnian government.But the newspaper said the internal investigation did conclude that U.S. policy was so unclear and secretive that it created the impression in the region and even among some U.S. officials that the administration aided such arms shipments.
In the most specific example, the report said former U.S. Balkans negotiator Charles Redman told Croatian officials in April 1994 that the United States did not want to be in the position of saying no to Iranian arms shipments to Bosnia through Croatia, a comment interpreted by Croatians as tacit approval, the Post said.
Apr 16 · Republicans Challenge Clinton's Arms Nod
Apr 6 · Paper says Clinton Gave Nod to Covert Arms
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