*EPF404 10/05/00
Defense Department Report, Thursday, October 5
(Belgrade) (360)

TIME FOR CHANGE IN BELGRADE'S LEADERSHIP, BACON SAYS

Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon says it is "time for a change in leadership" in Belgrade. The burgeoning demonstrations in the wake of the September 24 presidential elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia bear a message, he told reporters at the regular Thursday, October 4 Defense Department briefing, "that the people of Yugoslavia would like a peaceful change. And, we hope that that's what can occur."

The people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia wanted a "peaceful replacement of (President Slobodan) Milosevic through the ballot box. They tried to do that...and now they've moved...to demonstrations that they call non-violent. And we hope that they can stay non-violent," the spokesman said.

Clearly Milosevic "no longer has a mandate to rule," Bacon said. "It's clear that the Yugoslav people want him...out of office and that he ought to step down and pay attention to the will of his people," he added.

Asked by a reporter about the situation outside the capital, Bacon said there has not been any significant marshaling of Yugoslav forces or any change in the alert posture of the military in the the last few days. The spokesman said it is difficult "to comment authoritatively on what's going on in Belgrade and how the various power blocs are lining up."

"All we can say is that we hope for everybody's benefit that this is resolved peacefully and that Milosevic reads the ballot box message that it is time to go," Bacon said.

Asked about the alert status of U.S. military forces in the region, he said there has been no change in their overall status. He said there are 4,600 U.S. troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina and another 6,000 in Kosovo. There are another 1,000 or fewer military personnel in Macedonia, he said, as well as small numbers in Croatia and Sarajevo and several thousand sailors in Corfu on a port-of-call visit.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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