ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:96123103.txt
DATE:12/31/96
TITLE:31-12-96  REPORT:  STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, TUESDAY, DEC. 31, 1996

TEXT:
(Bosnia/Iran)  (370)

There was no regular briefing, but Acting State Department Spokesman
John Dinger did speak on-the-record with reporters. No transcript is
available of this briefing.

BOSNIA/IRAN -- Dinger refused to comment on a Los Angeles Times story
that reported that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) allegedly
discovered that Iran secretly gave at least $500,000 in cash to
Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic for his fall election campaign.
Dinger noted, however, that the United States is satisfied that Bosnia
has broken its military links with Iran.

President Clinton certified in June that military and intelligence
cooperation between the Bosnian and Iranian governments had been
severed, Dinger said. "President Izetbegovic has clearly favored
Bosnian security orientation toward the West," Dinger said.

Dinger added that "there is no evidence of any remaining organized
military units of foreign forces in Bosnia. Nevertheless, we (the
United States) remain watchful over Iranian activity in Bosnia. For
that reason, last fall we established a joint commission with the
Bosnian government to investigate and address any allegations of
improper Iranian activity in Bosnia. That commission is functioning,
and we think it is functioning effectively, and it's functioning
satisfactorily to us."

Iranian "improper actions" are taken very seriously by the United
States, Dinger said, noting that the U.S. government delayed delivery
of military equipment to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
until the Bosnian government removed a deputy defense minister because
of the minister's personal relationship with Iran which the United
States found objectionable.

Dinger reiterated the U.S. government position that no country should
have links of any type with Iran. "It is clear that there are links
between Iran and Bosnia: They have an ambassador there; they have
cultural centers set up. We object to those links," Dinger said. But
he acknowledged that it is "Bosnia's decision as to what sort of
cultural or economic or diplomatic relations it must have with Iran."

Dinger said that Izetbegovic's actions over the last months have
convinced the United States that Izetbegovic "at the very least
respects our concerns over Iranian influence; and we are satisfied
that he is taking our concerns seriously and acting on our concerns."
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