The defenceminister and the army chief-of-staff of the Serb-run part ofBosnia-Hercegovina have resigned over a scandal involving illegalarms sales to Iraq.
A statement said Defence Minister Mr Slobodan Bilic and ArmyChief of Staff Mr Novica Simic had both stepped down.
The republic's Supreme Defence Council, which made theannouncement after a meeting late Monday, said: "This act helps toimprove the international position of the Republika Skrpska (RS) andof Bosnia".
But with Bosnia now under close scrutiny, it stressed "there wasno direct responsibility" by either man in this violation of a UNarms embargo on Iraq.
The resignations followed a warning from Washington yesterdaythat Bosnia had not done enough to curb the breach that let militaryequipment and sensitive technology through to Iraq.
International envoy to Bosnia Mr Paddy Ashdown last week rebuked Bosnia over the incident, saying it put "Bosnia-Hercegovina squarely in the crosswires of the international community's concernon Iraq". He demanded a broader inquiry.
AFP