A Lethal Embrace

Three national propaganda machineries always make three similar, yet different interpretations of the events in Konjic and around it. Therefore, Radio Sarajevo reported that "this morning Croat units opened fire from Hill Ljubina on the defense positions of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina, killing ...."

According to the Serb Radio, Muslim forces provoked the first defense lines with infantry and anti-aircraft fire. The Army of the Serb Republic in Bosnia (VRS) responded to the provocation, and no one was injured. The Croat Radio only briefly reported that the so-called Army of B-H attacked today, and that the forces of the HVO (Croatian Defense Council) silenced the enemy batteries in response. These three reports could provide information for one report which is closest to the truth: this morning the forces of the Army of B-H opened mortar and .50 caliber machine gun fire on the HVO units stationed in the region of the village of Turije on the left bank of the Neretva River. The artillery of the Army of the Serb Republic in Bosnia answered with fire and silenced the enemy. There were no losses in the ranks of the HVO or VRS.

This is how it happened, as the HVO units have no artillery in the area, while they gave up Hill Ljubina, which dominates over Konjic, to the Serb forces. Moreover, one could say, the "Herzeg Stjepan" brigade of the HVO which operates in the area could be called a shock troop of the Bosnian Serb Army.

Bosnian Serb Army Officer, Milos Andric, who was our guide for the day, explained that fierce clashes around Mount Boksevica could be heard, where the HVO was trying to regain a recently lost Mostar - Sarajevo communication line.

A little later on the first Serb lines on Vrabac, from where there is a grandstand view of Konjic, Andric told an anecdote from a recently finished battle when two infantries, the Serb and the Croat, struck at the mutual enemy. Calling on his fellow-soldiers, one fighter of the HVO, shouted an old Ustashi war cry, "Forward, for the home!". A "Chetnick" who was charging next to him called to his fighters, "Forward, for the King!", to which the HVO soldier responded by shouting "For the home, for the King, forward!". Another fighter of the HVO, who had a half of his right leg torn off by a shrapnel, was shouting, while lying on the ground soaked in blood, "Brothers Chetnicks, forward!".

This story which was somewhat incredible initially was verified the very same night. Captain Dragan Slijepcevic of the Command of the 2nd Light Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, which was located in Borci, exchanged several sentences over the radio connection with the HVO commanders who wanted to know "whether there were any news from the South." Captain Slijepcevic replied that "that" from the South was arriving, and that they should prepare some cookies in the morning, probably, alluding to our visit.

The very same night two-thirds of a mixed three-member Committee from Konjic paid a visit to Borci. The Committee's task was to put an end to the Muslim-Croat conflict.

A Muslim missionary spent the night in the Croat village of Turija, while a Croat and a Serb sneaked out and went to the Serb headquarters to provide information about the activities of the Muslims in Konjic. The main problem was their return to Turija, which is 15 kilometers away, before a Muslim member of the delegation woke up and realized that he had been deceived.

During the conversation Captain Slijepcevic left room for reservations concerning this alliance and their brotherly love with the HVO. "They should not be trusted...They did pull out several hundred Serbs from Konjic, but it had never occurred to them to form an alliance with us until they found themselves in a dead-end situation. On the other hand, it suits us, they are now our infantry and the Muslims must go through them in order to reach us. By supporting them, we are actually defending ourselves. We've been in a very difficult situation on two occasions thus far, they have threatened us two times that they will surrender to us along with all civilians. Feeding several thousand civilians and 500 solders is not a joke. It was very difficult to talk them out of it."

A fifteen kilometer long road, made during the war, runs to the Serb village of Bijela, and is several hundred meters away from the first Serb lines on Vrabac as the crow flies. Major Boro Antelj, commanding the brigade, is very proud of it. "We managed to defend ourselves and to build the road at the same time. Our soldiers in Bijela had been supplied by foot and horses until we finished it. We used to pull out the wounded by hand. It's easier now."

Having covered about a third of the road, we came across an unusual sight. We saw ten trucks and men in various uniforms around them. The men were reloading something, which was "that" arriving from the south - humanitarian aid. Garo, one of the HVO Commanders, treated us to a light beer and a cigarette. The whispers which the soldiers freely exchanged revealed to us what the commanders would not tell us. It was not humanitarian aid only, unless it had recently started to be transported in wooden boxes.

The photographer was not allowed to take pictures, which he did secretly.

Shrewdness and benefit seem to be the rock bottom of this new alliance. The Bosnian Serb Army could do without it. It could, as a matter of several hours, wipe off the face of the Earth a handful of several hundred HVO soldiers, who are in a relatively small area surrounded by the Muslims on one side and by Bosnian Serb units on the other. But, this way, the Serbs have the infantry, which is also defending the Serb front lines by defending itself and the civilian population.

On the other hand, the HVO is wedged between the Muslim formations deranged by hopelessness and the angry Serbs, who have still not forgiven them for the last year's massacre in the village of Bradina near Konjic which was perpetrated by Croats and Muslims, who were allies at the time.

Considering the situation, the HVO had no choice. Either to side with the Serbs (until it suits the latter) or jump into the Neretva River.

The "cookies" mentioned in the conversation the night before waited at the battalion's command: a team of Croat negotiators comprising the Colonel, the Chief-of-Staff of the "Herzeg Stjepan" brigade, the Secretary of the HDZ (the Croatian Democratic Community) for Konjic and the friar. The negotiations with the Serb side took a while. They were obviously negotiating new deliveries of humanitarian and other aid as well as future actions.

"The war between the Croats and the Serbs is over as far as I am concerned. I wish this were true in all parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, " Drago Simunovic, secretary of the HDZ, said after the several hours long negotiations.

"In the name of the Command of the "Herzeg Stjepan" Brigade I would like to thank our Serb neighbors for offering us a hand of friendship and for helping us at the moment when there was a danger that the Croats could vanished from this area. Everything, which has been done so far, and, I hope will be done in the future comes as a result of our attitude towards the Serb civilians over the last year. Like the Serbs, we also want to return to our centuries old homes and continue to live in peace. Judging by their latest offensive, it is an altogether different story with the Muslims. That is their problem. I believe that we, the Serbs and the Croats, will find a way to bring this war to an end. If the Muslims come to their senses and accept the reality which is imposed to them not only by us here, but by the whole world, it will be good for them; if they don't, then it's their problem."

Father Slavko Antunovic is happy because of the Croat-Serb alliance. He has also heard about a visit which Orthodox Bishop from Herzegovina Atanasije paid to the Croat soldiers and even played football with them. "All that is good and positive and should be continued, so that piece comes for every man and every people. If this form of cooperation and help have that as a goal, then it should be supported by every man."

Chief-of-Staff of the "Herzeg Stjepan" Brigade, Dragan Juric, was more specific and realistic, and disclosed a part of a real picture of this alliance, "The events in this area have forced us to cooperate with those whom we used to see through a front sight only, practically, until yesterday. Those times sank into oblivion within a couple of days. I am of the opinion that the politicians must take it as the only way to save a few people who have survived. The Muslims are very strong in these regions, they brought people from Eastern Bosnia, also, there are many mercenaries, i.e. mujahedeens, from Iran, Kuwait and Morocco. They have received arms mostly through UNPROFOR channels and we possess evidence of this. Money is the point everywhere. There are no disputes with the Serbs when it comes to the borders of Herzeg-Bosnia, but neither side can live with the Muslims any longer. I believe that we shall force the Muslims to leave these regions through the joint effort. Bosnian Serb Army Colonel Risto Lazarevic assessed that good paid back with good, since they "had pulled more than 700 Serbs out of Konjic," but that they would also meet the wishes of the Muslims in those areas where they have no mutual territorial claims (which made the officers of the HVO feel ill at ease, the feeling could clearly be read from their faces).

But, it is likely, that such a situation, which Lazarevic hypothetically addressed, will never take place some fifteen kilometers away from Foca, on the first Serb lines towards Gorazde.

A group of fighters played dominoes in the shade, not far from the position of a mortar battery. They arrived from Trebinje to walk into Gorazde, as they had been told. No fierce fighting had taken place in the area for the last several days. Only the Muslim snipers are at work, precisely and deadly. Two days before, one careless Serb fighter was hit in the head from a distance of around 200 meters by a Muslim sniper. "They are saving the ammunition. Whenever they fire, it's a direct hit, in the head. No one is wounded by their snipers," said Sergeant Major Dragan Mijovic, and added, "It is well known that Gorazde had one of the best Hunters' Societies in the former Yugoslavia. They would let you walk in front of their lines for two days, and then you are gone on the third."

The unit's Command is located some 200 meters ahead, on the first line of the front, so that it is reached by an armored vehicle for safety reasons.

The fire from a 3-barreled 20mm anti-aircraft cannon was heard, as some movement was noticed on a hill, two hundred meters to the right. Sergeant Major Mijovic corrected fire. "Several days ago a white vehicle without any markings tried to approach the Serb lines without a previous announcement. It was fired on from all available means, and we found out later that it belonged to UNPROFOR."

UNPROFOR issued no information on possible injuries of its members until the moment when this issue of VREME went into print.

Commenting on the obvious Serb supremacy in arms, Mijovic claims that the Muslims have mortar launchers, but lack the ammunition. They receive some ammunition by parachutes, but those are negligible quantities. We are here and we'll get into Gorazde if we are told," Mijovic concluded.