THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995                   TAG: 9506090528
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A13  EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   27 lines

BOSNIAN SERB LEADERS CLAIM THEY'RE PLEASED AT PILOT'S RESCUE

The Bosnian Serb leadership was quick to react to Thursday's rescue, putting its best spin to the story.

Jovan Zametica, adviser to Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, told The Associated Press: ``We understood it was a humanitarian mission, and orders went out not to interfere with the mission.''

Making no mention that two missiles were fired and Serb gunners shot at the rescuers, Zametica added: ``We are delighted that the pilot is alive.'' He said Serbs feared pilot Scott O'Grady could have ended up on government-held territory where government forces ``would have killed him in order to blame us.''

KEYWORDS: RESCUE U.S. AIR FORCE BOSNIA U.S. NAVY

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