NATO Offers Direct Help to UN in Planning Air Strikes in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Strategic Insights -

As the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina intensifies, NATO has taken a significant step to support the United Nations in their efforts to deliver aid to besieged Muslim enclaves. Manfred Woerner, secretary-general of NATO, has drafted a letter proposing that NATO send military experts to UN headquarters in Zagreb to help draw up plans for air strikes that would be launched if peacekeepers come under attack. This move is a direct response to the UN's request for plans to open the air strip at Tuzla and break the siege at Srebrenica, where Canadian soldiers are trapped.

Key Takeaways:

  • NATO is offering direct help to the UN in planning air strikes in Bosnia-Herzegovina to support UN peacekeeping troops.
  • Manfred Woerner, secretary-general of NATO, has drafted a letter proposing the deployment of NATO military experts to UN headquarters in Zagreb to help draw up plans for air strikes.
  • NATO military planners have done most of the preparation necessary to support UN troops should they come under attack, with NATO troops trained in directing air strikes already on the ground in Tuzla and Srebrenica.
  • Alliance warplanes are already patrolling Bosnian airspace to enforce a UN ban on military aircraft flights, and NATO has been prepared since the summer to mount air strikes in defense of peacekeeping troops.
  • Despite an earlier warning, Bosnian Serbs have continued to shell and launch attacks on the Bosnian capital, with NATO having mounted no air strikes.
  • People in the Gorazde enclave of eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina are using spoons to scoop up airdropped flour that had spilled in the mud, highlighting the desperation to get food.

Statistics:

  • 60 miles (100 km) is the distance between Tuzla and Srebrenica.
  • 20,000 Canadian soldiers were trapped in Srebrenica, although the exact number is not specified.
  • NATO warplanes have been patrolling Bosnian airspace since the summer.
  • NATO has been prepared to mount air strikes since the summer in defense of peacekeeping troops.
  • 1 month has passed since NATO leaders gave Bosnian Serbs a strong warning at the summit.
  • 1,000s of people in the Gorazde enclave are desperate for food, with photos and stories emerging of people using spoons to scoop up airdropped flour.

Sources:

  • Alliance sources said Wednesday.
  • Manfred Woerner, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  • Boutros-Ghali, UN Secretary-General.
  • NATO officials.
  • Aid workers.