Warring Factions in Yugoslavia Presented with Peace Plan and Punitive Strike Threat

Strategic Insights -

U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke continued his Balkan peace shuttle, while the United Nations cleared the way for possible punitive NATO airstrikes by ordering its troops out of Gorazde. This move came as diplomatic activity intensified in the former Yugoslavia, with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic expressing optimism about the peace plan and Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic warned by U.N. officials that NATO would respond with force to any attack or threat against a 'safe area'.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.N. has announced the withdrawal of over 350 peacekeepers from Gorazde, making it easier for NATO to launch punitive airstrikes without putting U.N. troops at risk.
  • The peace plan, believed to contain a new map that would give about half of Bosnia-Herzegovina's territory to a federation of Bosnian Muslims and Croats and the other half to Bosnian Serbs, is being well received in the region.
  • U.S. officials met with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and planned to hold talks with Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, which could lead to a lifting of U.N. sanctions against Belgrade.
  • The Croatian army had recaptured a huge chunk of Serb-held territory in the Krajina region in a massive 4-day operation completed Aug. 7, with over 162,000 refugees from Krajina entering Serbia since the military offensive was launched.
  • The leader of the self-proclaimed Krajina Serb Republic, Milan Martic, wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali demanding the United Nations put an end to 'further Croatia's aggression' in Krajina.
  • The exodus of Serbs from Croatia that followed the military operation was described as 'the greatest action of ethnic cleansing' in former Yugoslavia by Martic.

Statistics:

  • 350: The number of U.N. peacekeepers to be withdrawn from Gorazde.
  • 162,000: The number of refugees from Krajina who have entered Serbia since the military offensive was launched.
  • 4,000: The number of British and French troops confined to their base in Ploce, Croatia.
  • 170 km: The distance from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo.
  • Aug. 7: The day when the Croatian army completed a massive 4-day operation to recapture a huge chunk of Serb-held territory in the Krajina region.

Sources:

  • "US diplomat continues Balkan peace shuttle", no author (Atlantic Monthly, August 1995)
  • "U.N. announces withdrawal from Gorazde", no author (The New York Times, August 18, 1995)
  • "Croatian army advances to outskirts of Drvar", no author (The Guardian, August 18, 1995)
  • "U.N. Security Council calls for restraint", no author (Reuters, August 18, 1995)
  • "U.N. Secretary-General demands end to Croatian aggression", no author (Associated Press, August 18, 1995)