EU takes over Bosnia peacekeeping from NATO
AP ^ | 12/2/4 | SAMIR KRILIC
 

ARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- The European Union began its biggest-ever military operation Thursday, formally taking over NATO's peacekeeping mission in Bosnia with 7,000 troops.

The operation is a major step in the EU's drive to develop a military arm, an initiative launched after the bloc failed to halt the war that tore Bosnia apart in the early 1990s.

The European Union flag replaced NATO's at the transfer ceremony in Sarajevo, attended by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union, Javier Solana, as well as the Bosnian three-member presidency.

"This is a truly historic occasion," said Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. "This is a watershed in Bosnia-Herzegovina's development and proof of the developing cooperation between NATO and the European Union."
 

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...