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ISRAEL/CROATIA/BOSNIA/SERBIA - Obama asks Bosnia not to support Palestine's UN bid

Released on 2012-10-12 10:00 GMT

Email-ID 747842
Date 2011-11-15 18:10:09
Obama asks Bosnia not to support Palestine's UN bid

Text of report by Bosnian wide-circulation privately-owned daily Dnevni
avaz, on 3 November

[Report by T. Lazovic: "What Did Obama Write to B-H Presidency?"]

US President Barack Obama has sent a letter to members of the
Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency seeking that our country refrains from
backing the Palestinian request for membership of the UN with the
explanation that it was not the best way of resolving a conflict that
has been going on for over 60 years, Dnevni Avaz has learnt from sources
close to state authorities.

Serious Situation

As we have learnt, in the letter that he addressed directly to Zeljko
Komsic, Nebojsa Radmanovic and Bakir Izetbegovic Obama expresses his
support for the people of Palestine, but underscores that matters in the
Middle East should be solved through dialogue and not unilateral

Bosnia-Hercegovina found itself in the focus of a global diplomatic row
as a non permanent member of the UN Security Council. Owing to the
Palestinian insistence to seek UN membership, which does not have
backing of all the UN Security Council member countries and is opposed
by Israel, the situation became so fraught that the White House decided
to take a direct role.

Relevant Sides

It is rare to have a US president address Bosnia-Hercegovina directly
and the letter indicates how serious the situation is. All the more so
since some Bosnia-Hercegovina officials have started to use the
sensitive issue of Palestine for scoring political points on the
domestic scene by exploiting the emotional attitude to the Palestinian

As we have learnt, in his letter Obama does not deny his desire for the
prosperity of Palestine. On the contrary, he backs their aspirations to
have their own state.

The letter was however aimed to inform the Bosnia-Hercegovina state
leadership of the White House's position that the only viable solution
is the one reached by agreement of all the relevant sides. Anything else
can only make the difficult situation even more so.

[Box] Reeker Delivered the Letter

Obama's letter was delivered to the state leadership by US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker in the course of the meeting
with the members of the Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency.

In their subsequent statements, Komsic and Radmanovic confirmed the
reception of the letter, making it clear that the details were not for
public disclosure.

Yesterday, Reeker also confirmed that he had delivered the letter in
which President Obama had addressed Bosnia-Hercegovina's state
leadership in connection with the Palestinian request.

[Box] Izetbegovic Kept Quiet About the Letter

Obama's letter was also handed over to Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency
member Bakir Izetbegovic, but in a statement about the meeting issued by
his cabinet office the letter was not mentioned although it was referred
to by the cabinet offices of the other two Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency
members in their statements.

Source: Dnevni avaz, Sarajevo, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 3 Nov 11 p 3

BBC Mon EU1 EuroPol ME1 MEPol 151111 vm/osc

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