The Battle For The Towers

The B-H Republic flag is flying over the Paljenik communication tower on Mt. Vlasic. Sarajevo TV showed B-H army commander Rasim Delic and prime minister Haris Silajdzic touring front line troops on Vlasic as well as 7th corps commander Mehmed Alagic who said: "I think this is one of the greatest victories so far. From here we can advance on several fronts." So the B-H army has confirmation of its victory in sound and picture.

The government troops offensive started on March 20 with an assault on two fronts: Vlasic and Mt. Majevica. Clashes intensified on several other fronts, such as Bihac.

The B-H Army scored big initial success on Majevica. Unofficial sources said the B-H Army took several strategic positions and a populated area. The communication tower on top of the mountain was surrounded leaving just a narrow corridor for defending Bosnian Serb soldiers to get in and out. The fall of that peak would have grave consequences for the Bosnian Serbs. Whoever controls Majevica controls the Posavina corridor and roads to Tuzla, Bijeljina and Zvornik. Also the loss of the communication tower would seriously endanger both civilian and military communications and would mean a loss of observer and radar positions. The coming B-H Army offensive on Posavina would be practically impossible to stop.

All that has forced the Bosnian Serbs to start a counter offensive and, as officially stated, recapture Konjic height and ease the pressure on the Stolice peak. Serb sources said the B-H Army had been pushed back to starting positions and reported lower levels of fighting. There is some confirmation of this from the usual B-H government reports of chemical weapons allegedly used by the Serbs and other reports of the alleged involvement of special forces from the FRY.

The Bosnian Serbs kept Majevica but lost control of Vlasic. The fact that the Bosnian Serb Army (BSA) is short on manpower proved decisive; they simply could not oppose simultaneous B-H Army strikes in several places. There are also reports that the BSA had only one line of defence on Vlasic and when the government troops broke through, the way was open to 70 kilometers into the depth of BSA positions. The B-H Army secured control of the Bugojno-Konjic-Travnik communications lines and starting positions for an offensive on Donji Vakuf, Skender Vakuf and Jajce and finally the road to eventually linking up with the 5th corps in the Bihac pocket. It's hard to believe the two parts of the B-H Army could link up soon but in any case the 5th corps is facing a much easier situation now. If the Croat Defence Force (HVO) starts an offensive from Livanj and Glamocko Polje, anything is possible.

The B-H Army offensive was aimed at taking control of the communication towers. The former Yugoslav national army (JNA) did the same thing when war broke out in Bosnia. The explanation was that they wanted to prevent "Croatian TV propaganda via Sarajevo TV". Since the towers are on mountain peaks which allow control of roads down below this isn't surprising.

Since few people believe the cease-fire will be extended into the summer, the question is, will the B-H Army be able to continue its offensive. B-H Army commander general Rasim Delic said: "At the moment we are trying to cover the Krajina with media propaganda. Then, God willing, we'll set foot there." The first reports after the tower was taken, said rebel government leader Fikret Abdic has followers in Bihac, because the signals from B-H radio and TV are weak there.

The B-H Army used the two and half months of relative peace to reorganize and rearm its troops. Delic's aide general Ramiz Suvalic said his troops had turned from defensive war to liberation war, which means more offensives.

Manpower is on the Moslem side. All of its corps (especially the 7th in Zencia) have reserves to draw on which the BSA does not. The BSA 1st Krajina corps is spread thin covering the area from Vlasic to Bihac. It is forced to defend itself because it does not have the manpower to launch offensives.

Also the BSA has a more serious problem: BSA soldiers don't want to fight away from their homes.

Informed sources also say the Pale leaders are not very trusting of the BSA top brass after the Belgrade-Pale rift. They see it as a necessary evil and are strengthening their police and are bringing in army commanders who are loyal to them.

So what will the BSA reaction be now? The B-H Army-conquered territories are a great bargaining chip for Sarajevo. Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic said he might extend the cease-fire if Radovan Karadzic accepts the Contact group peace plan. The meeting between the Bosnian ambassador to Switzerland Muhamed Filipovic and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic was another effort to weaken the Bosnian Serbs, regardless of its outcome. So, the Serbs can be expected to try to recapture the territory they lost to strengthen their negotiating positions.