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Malaysia salams

UN withdrawal

plan for Gorazde

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has condemned the U.N. plan to withdraw most of its troops from the Bosnian enclave of Gorazde, saying it may lead to a massacre of Bosnian Moslems.

"When Srebenica was captured by the Serbs, the U.S. reported that 2,700 Bosnian Muslims were massacred. The latest U.N. move to leave Gorazde may end up in a similar massacre of young able-bodied males," Malaysia's Sunday Times newspaper quoted a government statement as saying.

"Malaysia condemns this action," the statement said.

Nations was trying to blame the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for its pullout.

"The U.N. has requested the OIC countries to replace the Ukranian and British troops with about 100 soldiers," it said. "Malaysia has been asked to provide 10 soldiers.

"Now the U.N. are saying there are no volunteers meaning the OIC countries are not willing to provide 100 troops who will be totally helpless if the Serbs attack."

The United Nation said on Friday that most U.N. troops will be withdrawn from the Bosnian enclave of Gorazde by mid-September, leaving only a skeleton peacekeeping force and NATO airpower to deter Serb attacks.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said last week that Malaysia was likely to reject the U.N. call for more peacekeeping troops because he feared they could be used as human shields.

Malaysia has bitterly criticised the U.N. over its failure to confront the Serbs in Bosnia.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi said this week that Malaysia was lobbying other U.N. members to support a motion to dismiss U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali for failing to protect the U.N. safe areas in Bosnia.-Reuter