TV attack was wrong Andrews

The Minister for Foreign Affairs said yesterday the bombing of Serbian TV was wrong but blamed President Slobodan Milosevic for the casualties.

Speaking to journalists at the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers here, Mr Andrews also made clear Ireland would not support the naval interception of ships to enforce the oil embargo against Serbia unless it was specifically mandated by the UN.

Mr Andrews said if Mr Milosevic had not caused the original damage to Kosovo through ethnic cleansing, the bombing would not have happened. The victims at the TV station were "casualties of war" of a conflict caused by Slobodan Milosevic and his war machine.

But asked if he would have ordered the bombing of the station, Mr Andrews, said: "If it had been my decision, attacks on media institutions would not take place." The Minister also raised with the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Ms Emma Bonino, concerns about serious hold-ups for Irish aid lorries at Dures, Albania.