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After Saudi Blast, CIA Worries About Islamic Militants in Bosnia By Kurt Schork
Several thousand Islamic soldiers fought for the Muslim-led government side during Bosnia's 43-month war but all were supposed to leave under the Dayton peace agreement signed in December last year. The U.S. worries that some remain as a threat to Americans, in violation of the Dayton accord.
"Given the recent attack in Saudi Arabia any Western nation operating in Bosnia, but especially the United States, must evaluate the threat to its troops from terrorists," a Western diplomat who asked not to be named said on Monday. "We know some Arabs and Iranians who were here during the war remain in Bosnia and that some carry a grudge against the West. A few determined people can create havoc. Word is that Deutch was here to share his concerns with the government."
The havoc caused by a June 25 truck-bomb attack on American service personnel in Saudi Arabia prompted a review of U.S. military security around the world. The United States recently certified that the Dayton banagainst "foreign forces" had been met, at least sufficiently to make Bosnia eligible for a major U.S.-sponsored military assistance programme. But NATO, which leads a 50,000-strong peace implementation force in Bosnia including about 18,000 U.S. soldiers, reports that as many as several hundred militants from Iran and other Islamic nations still remain in Bosnia.
"There is general compliance with Dayton on the matter of "foreign forces," Lieutenant-Colonel Max Mariner, a NATO spokesman, told Reuterss on Monday.
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SARAJEVO, July 8 (Reuters) - America's CIA Director John Deutch slipped into Sarajevo last week on a visit revealing Washington fears that Islamic militants in Bosnia are a threat to U.S. forces here, diplomats said on Monday. The unannounced trip came soon after a bomb blast tore through a Saudi Arabian military complex housing foreigners, killing 19 Americans and injuring more than 250 people.
Berserkistan, June 29 · Teenage Bosnian Girl Abducted to become a Mujahideen Bride
Berserkistan, Apr 29 · Conspiracy Claimed in Iranian Troop Charges
Berserkistan, Apr 27 · Ambassador Angered over Covert Forces Charges
Berserkistan, Apr 26 · Bosnia's PM Denies Iranian Presence
Berserkistan, Feb 21 · 11 Arrested in "Terrorist Training Camp"
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