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Today's paper. Last Updated: 06/03/2012

Moslems To Accept Bosnia Plan

SARAJEVO -- Leaders of Bosnia's Moslem-led government said Thursday they plan to accept a peace proposal backed by the international community and would overlook its shortcomings. Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic told a news conference in Sarajevo: "Despite everything, my opinion is that we should accept this plan because by refusing it we would do a favor" to Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karazdic and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic said he would recommend that the Bosnian parliament approve the proposed map, which would divide the country roughly in half between the Serbs and the Bosnian Moslem-Croat federation. Izetbegovic revealed details of the peace plan, formally presented to the warring factions Wednesday, saying it gave Moslems Serb-held towns such as Jajce in central Bosnia and Doboj and Brcko in the north. Diplomats from the United States, Russia, France, Germany and Britain have described their plan as the last chance to prevent a protracted and perhaps wider conflict in Bosnia. The two sides have been given two weeks to make up their minds on the plan aimed at ending the 27-month war. Bosnian Serbs, who would be forced to give up some 20 percent of the territory they have captured, have responded cautiously to the deal. The Serbs were likely to object to turning the northern town of Brcko over to Moslem control with a surrounding demilitarized area. They view Brcko as a vital strategic possession linking Serb-held land in Bosnia and Croatia with Serbia proper. Under the peace map, the Serbs would keep the eastern towns of Zvornik, Rogatica, Bratunac and Vlasenica, Izetbegovic said. Diplomats in Geneva said the Serbs would probably ask for an extension of the deadline and Serb sources in Pale said the self-declared Bosnian Serb parliament would likely debate the plan within a week. A UN spokesman in Sarajevo reported sporadic fire Thursday morning between Serb and Moslem-led forces, mainly in central and northern Bosnia.




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