The Army of the Federation and NATO Air Strikes on Yugoslavia

Only SFOR on the Alert

AIM Sarajevo, 3 April, 1999

Strong ground and air forces of SFOR are keeping peace in B&H, but due to NATO intervention in Yugoslavia, the question often arises whether achievements of Dayton accords can remain unthreatened by it. Such suspicions are not unfounded primarily because a neighbouring country is bombed and because such vicinity is as a rule risky. This is especially emphasised by the fact that in this armed conflict, the people in Republika Srpska are mostly taking Yugoslavia's side.

Preservation of Peace

From the beginning of NATO operations in FR Yugoslavia, a certain quantity of concern is evident in B&H Federation. (Indeed, there is also some malice, but not a great extent of it). "Fuel was added to the flames" by rumours that a call-up was going on in both B&H entities. This was denied by military commands, but the impression remained among a part of the public about certain raising of the level of combat readiness because of developments in the neighbourhood. But, SFOR commander, American general Montgomery Meigs, and commander of the Joint Command of the Army of B&H Federation, Rasim Delic, decided to issue a joint statement intended to corroborate allegations that SFOR would not at any cost allow disturbance of peace in B&H and to give an additional argument for the stand that there is no call-up in B&H Federation.

"The general situation in B&H is stable and we wish it to remain that", declared general Meigs after talks with Delic. "The people in B&H have suffered too much and we in SFOR will do our best to ensure peace in B&H", he said. At the same time general Delic declared that "there is no need for mobilisation, nor for raising the level of readiness for combat"; "what we are preoccupied by right now are refugees in B&H Federation coming from Sandzak (Bosniacs) and Kosovo (Albanians) and we wish to ensure accommodation for them. Of course, regular training is taking place in the army of the Federation which now involves the youngest generation of recruits, the so-called March class. We note that corps and units headquarters and Joint Command of the Army of the Federation have intensified control of this training and life in military barracks in general", said Delic.

Generals Meigs and Delic tried to convince representatives of media that life in army units was regular and normal, but the impression remained that SFOR soldiers were listening closely to detonations in Serbia and Montenegro, and more carefully following and monitoring the air space above B&H. General Meigs considers this a regular procedure.

Additional Possibility

"Members of SFOR, believe me, are very busy. Even before these strikes in Yugoslavia, there was no relaxing, why would there be now? Our men are aware why they are here at every moment and they carry out their mandate responsibly", declared SFOR commander.

It is taken for granted that the SFOR command, as part of NATO forces, is constantly in contact with the staff which commands bombing of military targets in Yugoslavia. This is only natural and it is certain that NATO bombers may consider B&H airports as the additional possibility where thy can safely land if need arises. On the second day of this operation, two such jets landed on the runaway of Butmir airport in Sarajevo.

"If combat NATO planes start flying on lower altitudes, they will be more exposed to anti-aircraft defence of the Army of Yugoslavia, and there will probably be more need for landing on airports in Sarajevo, Tuzla or Mostra", said a SFOR officer who wished to remain anonymous. He did not eliminate the possibility of inflicting damage of NATO aircrafts in the following phases of the strikes.

While for the territory of B&H Federation one can say that it is inclined towards NATO, the attitude to forces of this military alliance in Republika Srpska is quite different. It is therefore assumed that a pilot of a damaged NATO airplane would not gladly land on Mahovljani military airport near Banja Luka, since he knows that he would not be welcomed there.

Serb Temptations

The Army of Republika Srpska identified with the Army of Yugoslavia and many believe that, if SFOR had not controlled the border of FR Yugoslavia, some units of the Army of RS would have crossed the Drina and helped their "Serb brethren". This, indeed, should not surprise anyone when one knows that certain military analysts consider the Army of RS to be the "fourth corps" of the Army od Yugoslavia. Belgrade has three strategic formations - the first for the northern and central Serbia, the second for southern Serbia and Montenegro and the third for the territory of south-eastern Serbia and Kosovo.

Asked about relations of the Army of RS and the Army of Yugoslavia, minister of defence of Republika Srpska, retired general Manojlo Milovanovic said that he was aware of the thesis on "the Army of RS as the fourth corps of the Army of Yugoslavia", but that this was not true. "Nowadays, we cooperate more with the Army of B&H Federation than with the Army of Yugoslavia", he said recently in Sarajevo, but hardly anyone believed his allegation. The army of RS relied too much on the Army of FR Yugoslavia, in the sense of conception, personnel and logistics, both at the time of the war in B&H and afterwards. But, it seems that there is a so-called "all-Serb agreement" that anything of the sort should be denied to make what is done far from the eyes of the public less suspicious.

It should be trusted that SFOR is exercising full control of both the armies in B&H entities, because if it had not been for that, it is possible that everything would have taken a different direction. The stake given for peace in B&H is too high to endanger it again.

Djuro KOZAR

AIM Sarajevo