WORLD : Croatia Could Seek Military Aid

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia — Croatia’s interior minister today said he would welcome outside military help in case of attack by the Yugoslav army, and rival leaders of Serbia and Croatia met to try to defuse the threat of civil war.

With political tensions continuing to escalate, the country’s eight-man collective presidency, which promised Tuesday not to use force to disarm Croatia’s special forces, called a meeting today in Belgrade.

The confrontation pits the federal leadership and Serbia, both of which favor a strong central government, against Croatia and Slovenia, which are pushing for a loosely defined confederation of six Yugoslav republics and two provinces.