UNITED NATIONS. Feb 1 Lifting the arms embargo against Bosnia would do little for Bosnian Muslims who would need years to regain territory lost to the Serbs, former UN peacekeeping Commander Michael Rose said Tuesday, reports AFP

To create an army which is capable ol campaigning often sivclv at the operational level will take years the British general told reporters at UN headquarters in New York

RoseX wIk> was meeting with Secretary General Boutros-Boutros-Ghali al the rpd of his vwu long mission in Bosnia, was responding to calls

from the US Congress* to lift the .irms embargo against the former Yugoslavia.

New Republicart majority leader Bob Dole said that lawmakers still backed and end to tlie ban on sales of arms to Bosnian Muslims but that no action would lie taken in < ongress for several months In order to oNow time for a nego-n.iied settlement.

Rose who Is also expected to visit Washington, said he was still optimistic about a possible political solution to ending the nearly three-year war and asserted that armed efforts by the Bosnians to win Imc k land would be futile.

"It is not Just a question of ' buy ing equipment, it is a question of a whole understanding of the art of war." he contin-

I might believe it would take years." he said. "During that time, of course, the other ^de would not exactly be sit ting around watching this happen.

Dole met with Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silajdic Mopday and assured him of continued Congressional support for lifting the arms ban.

"I haven't seen any slippage on either side Democrat or Republican on lifting the embargo?" he told reporters.