Ashdown acuses government of 'worst appeasement'

PADDY ASHDOWN, the Liberal Democrat leader, yesterday accused the Government of the 'worst appeasement' after Tony Newton, the Leader of the Commons, repeated its view that direct military intervention in the former Yugoslavia would not help solve the conflict, writes Patricia Wynn Davies.

Mr Ashdown had asked Mr Newton, deputising for John Major at prime minister's questions, for an assurance that the Government, working with others, would not be prepared to allow Sarajevo to fall to the aggression of Bosnian Serbs.

Mr Ashdown said afterwards: 'The answer given to me this afternoon was a spineless answer, redolent of the worst appeasement. The Government, with the Prime Minister in the lead, has today offered a green light to further Serb aggression and the destruction of Sarajevo.'