The Balkan Peninsula: Part V. The War for Bosnia
Croatians, Muslims, and Serbs inhabit Bosnia. Serb nationalist rhetoric immediately countered the 1992 decision of the collective (Muslim) Bosnian Presidency to separate from Yugoslavia. Slobidan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb leader Radivan Karadzic were allies to purchase weapons and other necessary war equipment. The newly created Bosnian Serb Parliament passed act upon act to reaffirm its intentions and support for the war. UN sponsored talks in Geneva erupted into shouting matches. For twenty-two months Bosnian Serb forces mercilessly besieged the ancient city of Sarajevo. The siege also involved extensive propaganda campaigns. Mr. Karadzic repeatedly told the US press that no war existed, and Sarajevo was not besieged.
Significant but tangential to the main conflict was Croatian participation. Croatia's role was quite complex; Croatia was concerned with protecting its interests while practicing limited revanchist policies. Croatian leaders argued that if Serbs could preserve their sectors of Bosnia, Croatia was quite justified in protecting its sectors of Bosnia. Croatia supported the Muslims in an attempt to feign off the aggressive Serbs. When Serbs took the lead, Croatia backed them. Perhaps it was merely self-preservation. Perhaps it was merely a desire to stay on the winning side. But this was no us-against-them-with-someone-trapped-in-the-middle conflict. Some Serbs and Croatians loyally supported the Muslims. In Sarajevo all three groups had lived together peacefully for many decades. Trouble only started when various groups invoked nationalism.
Soon after the battles began, the UN passed a Resolution to impose an arms embargo against Bosnia. The embargo technically affected all Yugoslavia, but it was loosely enforced against Serbia and Croatia. The logic here is almost indecipherable: Perhaps the UN reasoned that if no arms entered, one side would eventually lack weapons and would be forced to surrender; the Geneva talks would conclude with a signed treaty. That would end the natter for now and forever.
At several intervals during the war the trend seemed to favor "surgical air strikes" against strategically placed Serb targets near Sarajevo and other besieged Bosnian cities. On five occasions the UN Security Council passed Resolutions allowing NATO to conduct these bombardments. Every time NATO avoided keeping its previous pledges. Consider this: In response to UN Resolutions, some states argued that NATO was improperly authorized to act because the Security Council did not approve military action. The UN changed the Resolutions (typically by altering a few words and assigning new numbers) and deferred to NATO. NATO seemed incapable of action because it needed some other approval, the Secretary General disagreed with the policy, or the Secretary General suddenly was the only party properly authorized to order air strikes. Meanwhile the war continued.
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