[11/22/1994]: 24194018-20060527F-001-003-2023

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

## Q: WHEN YOU SAY WE ARE PREPARED TO SEND THE MESSAGE AGAIN,

WHAT SORT OF MESSAGE WOULD IT BE?WOULD IT BE A MORE AGGRESSIVE OR STRONGER MESSAGE THAN THE PIN-PRICK STRIKE OF YESTERDAY?

A: WELL, THAT'S YOUR CHARACTERIZATION. THE STRIKE YESTERDAY SUCCEEDED IN DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. IT HAD A LIMITED PURPOSE, AND THAT PURPOSE WAS ACHIEVED. SO I'M NOT BUYING YOUR CHARACTERIZATION OF IT. IT DID WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.

Q: IF BY SENDING A MESSAGE THE SERBS DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AND CONTINUE, THEN IT DIDN'T DO WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. THEREFORE WOULD A STRONGER ATTACK OR STRIKE BE IN ORDER?

A: THAT'S FOR THE UN AND NATO TO DECIDE. AS YOU KNOW, THE TWO-KEY CONCEPT REMAINS IN EFFECT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING. ONE, CLEARLY, BOTH THE UN AND NATO ARE WATCHING THE SITUATION AND REACTION TO THE STRIKE YESTERDAY TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGE IN SERB BEHAVIOR. THAT'S THE FIRST THING.

SECONDLY, IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT WE AND OUR ALLIES ARE DISCUSSING IN NATO AND AT THE UN A NUMBER OF STEPS THAT WE MIGHT TAKE. MANY OF YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THESE STEPS AND THEY INVOLVE THINGS LIKE EXCLUSION ZONES ON BIHAC, ASSISTED OPERATING

ZONES DEALING WITH AIR STRIKES, ETC. THESE ARE DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES THAT WILL LEAD TO CHANGES ON THE GROUND THAT CAN BE TAKEN. THESE ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION. THAT CONSIDERATION IS ONGOING AND THERE SHOULD BE DECISIONS ON THAT.

AS I SAID, WE RETAIN THE RIGHT, BOTH NATO AND UNPROFOR, TO CARRY ON ADDITIONAL AIR STRIKES IF NECESSARY.

Q: HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT IS NOW BEING REPORTED IN THE SUBURBS AROUND BIHAC. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFE HAVEN. HOW CAN YOU CLEANSE THAT AREA WITHOUT ENDANGERING THE PEOPLE IN THE SAFE AREA?

A: THAT'S ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE FACE. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS ISN'T AN EASY PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH. NOTHING IN THIS AREA IS EASY TO DEAL WITH. IF THERE WERE EASY SOLUTIONS, WE WOULD HAVE FOUND THEM A LONG WHILE AGO. IT'S VERY COMPLEX, THERE ARE LIVES AT STAKE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SORT OUR WAY THROUGH THIS AS BEST WE CAN.

Q: THERE ARE REPORTS THAT QUOTE UN SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE SERBS HAVE USED A HELICOPTER GUNSHIP IN TODAY'S FIGHTING. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT AT ALL?

A: I CAN'T ELABORATE ON IT. I'VE SEEN THE SAME REPORTS.

HELICOPTERS ARE ALSO VERY HARD TO FIND. THEY CAN POP UP AND SEE SOMETHING AND THEN GO BACK ONTO THE GROUND. THEY CAN MOVE VERY QUICKLY. SO BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT GET THERE, THEY'RE NO LONGER THERE.

Q: YOU SAID YOU ACHIEVED THE GOAL, I GUESS MAYBE I MISSED THIS YESTERDAY. WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT? WAS IT SENDING THIS MESSAGE, OR WERE YOU OUT TO DISABLE THE AIRPORT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? WHAT EXACTLY...