IRAN OFFERS HELP TO BOSNIAN MUSLIMS

Iran's armed forces have said they are ready to help Bosnian Muslims in their war with Serb forces opposed to Bosnian independence.

The Iranian Armed Forces Command said in a statement Wednesday night that it would not "deny Muslim sisters and brothers in Bosnia-Herzegovina any kind of material or moral assistance."

Bosnian Muslims have repeatedly asked Islamic countries for weapons and ammunition, but none have yet made any official commitment.

The 47-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference said Wednesday that Islamic foreign ministers would meet in Saudi Arabia Dec. 1 to discuss the plight of Bosnian Muslims.

Iran is one of many Islamic countries that have asked the United Nations to ease its arms embargo on Bosnia.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme announced yesterday that it was launching a food aid operation in the war-ravaged former Yugoslavia to feed more than 3 million people.