The top commander of European Union peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina says his forces will focus on dealing with the large amount of illegal weapons still present in the country.
General Gian Marco Chiarini called hidden caches of weapons left over from the Bosnian conflict a major destabilizing factor. The news agency of Bosnia's Muslim-Croat Federation (FENA) says the general made his comments in Sarajevo at his first news conference since assuming his post in December.
The general also said he has no information that terrorists are operating in Bosnia, but stressed that the EU force is closely monitoring the situation.
General Chiarini pledged to assist Bosnian authorities in efforts to arrest fugitive war crimes suspects. He also raised the possibility that the two main suspects, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and military commander General Ratko Mladic, are no longer in the country.
