General Atif Dudakovic

Profile: Commander of the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina

Year and place of birth: 1954, Bosanska Dubica

Professional History: Officer in the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). Graduated from the Military Academy, with a concentration in land artillery. Served mainly in the Fifth Army District in Croatia. He last served in the JNA in Zadar during 1991.

What he is known for: Defeated Fikret Abdic in the inter-Muslim war in the Cazin Krajina. After ten months of battles, under his command, the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated the People's Defense of the self-proclaimed Autonomous Region of Western Bosnia (APZB) and occupied Velika Kladusa.

How he became Commander of the Fifth Corps: Upon its formation, Dudakovic was chosen as a substitute for Brigadier General Ramiz Drekovic. Shortly after clashes with Abdic and his supporters erupted, Drekovic was replaced. Numerous accusations had begun to circulate in Velika Kladusa: that he was indifferent to the people's suffering because he was from another region, that he had surrounded himself with suspicious ``Mujaheddins and Sandzak Muslims,'' and that his goal was to maximize the amount of suffering and the number of victims in the region in order to score political points in Sarajevo... Partly because of the need to refute those accusations and partly because his campaign against Abdic was not going very successfully, he was replaced by Dudakovic, who was familiar with the people and the region. This is believed to have been one of the better military-political moves that Sarajevo has made. Dudakovic and Drekovic (now Commander of the Fourth Corps of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina) worked together during this transition; despite the necessary regorganization that followed, the command structure of the Fifth Corps was preserved.

His actions during the war: Concerning the clashes with the APZB, it is claimed that his methods were crafty, but that the entire time he also kept in mind that those on the other side were fellow Muslims. In ``Oslobodjenje,'' General Rasim Delic, Commander of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina, explains this as the need ``to take as many prisoners as possible and to attempt to reform them.'' In battles with the Bosnian Serbs, especially the intense fighting around the Grabes plateau and Bosanska Krupa, Dudakovic did not achieve any major successes. However, he did not suffer any significant defeats either. The Bosnian Serbs claim that he skillfully manipulated the French UNPROFOR battalion. However, it is believed that maintaining Fifth Corps loyalty to Sarajevo was in itself a great success. In addition, the Bosnian and Krajina Serbs have been unable to utilize the railroad and roads along the Una river.

Reasons for his significance: He is the first Muslim commander who has executed a clear victory, albeit against his compatriots. In congratulating the Fifth Corps, General Delic said: ``The victory of the Fifth Corps troops gives all of us members of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina a great obligation to persist in the struggle and to continue in the direction in which we have started. For the fighters from the Niksic plateau, Vijenac, Zmajevac, Greda, Vlasic, Husar and Posavina and other regions of our country, your success will be an incentive to continue together in unity and to remain conscious of the goal which is before us.'' Speaking directly to Dudakovic, General Delic said: ``The bearing, determination and persistence with which you led the Fifth Corps during the most critical moments in the defense of the Bihac region and Bosnia-Herzegovina make you a true hero...'' Dudakovic's victory had great significance both because of the destruction of Abdic (he showed that projects of such nature have no future), and because of the faith in the power of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina that has since arisen; ``Oslobodjenje'' concludes that because of this victory, ``the next ones can be envisioned.'' He is significant simply because he has received the most official praise that any commander in the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina has ever received.

What his critics say: They emphasize that the refugees from the Velika Kladusa region did not leave all of their possessions and head toward total uncertainty without reason. Even though no independent confirmations of war crimes committed by his soldiers exist, the protest of the American ambassador to Zagreb, Peter Galbraith, to the Fifth Corps, regarding the plunder of abandoned houses in the former APZB is an embarassment. Not only does this directly contradict Dudakovic's statement that when the refugees return they will be guaranteed personal and property security, but for all practical purposes puts all warring parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina on the same level and makes the causes of the conflict less clear.

What his supporters say: They insist that General Dudakovic was in the most difficult position of all of the Muslim commanders. He fought on two fronts: against the Bosnian Serbs and, which was especially difficult, against his compatriots---Abdic's supporters. They point out that he successfully completed both tasks and that the Fifth Corps is probably the best in the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Therefore, if things continue in the same direction, they foresee a brill