SARAJEVO. Bosnia-Herzo govlna. Dec 31 : Troop shortages. BureaucraUc hassles and political posturing have bogged ctown the UN mission in Bosnia, the head of the peacekeeping forces there says, reports AP.

Showing the same frustra-Uon that plagued his two predecessors. Lt. Gen. Francis Briquemont said the Bosnia operation raises questions about the future of such missions.

'There are a lot of lessons to learn." he said in an interview recently in his small office in the UN compound near Sarajevo’s main hospital. As he spoke, a shell landed nearby, rattling the window

Briquemont has been on the job since July 12. moving up from commander of Belgian troops. The United NaUons rotates Its command here among the chiefs of its multinational contingents.

Briquemont expects to be replaced in six to eight months, citing the strains of acting as military commander and diplomat

He questioned whether the leaders ol Bosnia s threw war-

ring parties have the Interests of their populaUons at heart.

"The leaders never speak about their own populaUons." Briquemont said. They speak of their war goals and their objectives. I think they like the power very much."

But he also blamed the United Nations for Its failure to achieve peace here, saying the Security Council has been too" lofty in its goals and too sparing with resources.

There Is a fantasUc gap between all these Security Council resolutions and the means available to execute them." he said. All these resolutions can not be executed Jn the field

The genera) said he needs at least 10.000 fresh troops to carry out the resolutions, including one passed in April to establish "safe areas' around Muslim enclaves threatened by Bosnian Serb forces.

But Instead of more troops. France and Britain have talked of puHlng out In the spring if there is no peace agreement. Briquemont said the Spanish contingent Is under similar l>ressure at home.

“You have a sort of paralysis

of the operation because of the lack of troops' , he said. "It's" very frustrating when you see what we are trying to do with qpr few unita.*

Briquemont said his primary mandate Is to make sure aid . reaches the needy, and for the rest. I am doing what I can. For the next three or four months, we must save the whole population of this country."

The mission also has l>een hampered by the UN effort in Somalia, where casualties among American troops seem to have sapped international will for stronger action in Bosnia, he said.

"I have1 the impression that all the countries thought it was possible to have these operations without any casualties." he said. "Now you have very difficult operations with casual ties. Public opinion is reluctant to accept that."

But Briquemont suggested the Bosnia mission may have been doomed from the start.

"The United Nations decided to come to Bosnia in a "peacekeeping" operation where there was no peace and no . agreement."’ he said.