Foreign fighters in the Bosnian War
The
Bosniak side
Volunteer fighters often colloquially called "Bosnian mujahideen" were primarily from Afghanistan and Arab countries, though Muslim volunteers arrived from all around the world, including Asia, North Africa and Europe.[4] Estimated numbers varied wildly, depending on sources number vary from 500–4,000.[a] The military effectiveness of the mujahideen is disputed. Although, former U.S. Balkans peace negotiator
Some originally came as humanitarian aid workers, while others were escaping criminal charges in their own home countries, or came to be prosecuted for illegally departing to a foreign country and becoming soldiers.[8] They arrived to the region of Central Bosnia in the second half of 1992. From that point on, these fighters operated independently, with little to no coordination with the
Those who accepted to join imitated the foreigners in both dress and behavior, to such an extent that it was sometimes, according to the ICTY documentation in subsequent war crimes trials, "difficult to distinguish between the two groups". For that reason, the ICTY has used the term "Mujahideen" regardless of who joined the unit.[13] Once hostilities broke out between the Bosnian government and the Croat forces (HVO), they participated in some confrontations.[11]
The first mujahideen training camp was located in Poljanice next to the village of
Consequences
The foreign mujahideen were required to leave the Balkans under the terms of the 1995
During the Bosnian war, instances of Mujahideen units perpetrating war crimes, including the killing, torture and beheading of Serbian and Croat civilians and soldiers have been documented.
During the trial of
According to the indictment of
In 2016, former Bosnian Army Third Corps commander Sakib Mahmuljin was put on trial for having failed to prevent the murders, torture and beheading of some 50 Bosnian Serbs by members of the Mujahideen unit in the Vozuća and Zavidovići areas.[32] Part of Rasim Delić's judgement also dealt with the Vozuća case, though he was acquitted for those counts.[29] Mahmuljin was found guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in first instance in January 2021.[33]
Propaganda and political abuse
According to ICTY verdicts, Serb propaganda was very active, constantly propagating false information about the foreign fighters in order to inflame
Another example of propaganda about "Islamic holy warriors" is presented in the
With the rise of
Croat side
The Croats received support from Croatia and the
Many extreme right volunteers from Western Europe, mainly from Germany, joined the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS).[45] Although Russians mainly volunteered on the Serb side, the small neo-Nazi "Werewolf" unit fought on the Croat side.[45]
Swedish Jackie Arklöv fought in Bosnia and was later charged with war crimes upon his return to Sweden. Later he confessed he committed war crimes on Bosniak civilians in the Croatian camps Heliodrom and Dretelj as a member of Croat forces.[46]
Serb side
The Bosnian Serbs received volunteers from
Primary Russian forces consisted of two organized units known as "РДО-1" and "РДО-2" (РДО stands for "Русский Добровольческий Отряд", which means "Russian Volunteer Unit"), commanded by
In May 1995, the Herzegovina Corp of the VRS intended to organize an international brigade of their own in eastern Bosnia which gathered between 150 and 600[56]
The most notable incident involving
Notable people
- Abdelkader Mokhtari, Algerian, mujahideen
- Karim Said Atmani, Moroccan, mujahideen
- Abu Khayr al-Masri, Egyptian, mujahideen
- Khalid al-Mihdhar, Saudi, mujahideen
- Jackie Arklöv, Swedish, HVO
- Roland Bartetzko, German, HVO, KLA
- Thomas Crowley, Irish, HOS †
- Jean-Michel Nicolier, French, HOS †
- Igor Strelkov, Russian, VRS
See also
Annotations
References
- ^ Cerwyn Moore & Paul Tumelty (2008) Foreign Fighters and the Case of Chechnya: A Critical Assessment, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 31:5, 412-433, DOI: 10.1080/10576100801993347
- ^ "Bosnian Muslim Ex-Commander Jailed 10 Years Over War Crimes by Islamist Fighters". usnews. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ Marko Attila Hoare (2 June 2008). "Christopher Deliso, John R. Schindler and Shaul Shay on al-Qaeda in Bosnia". Greater Surbiton. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
Schindler's subject matter is narrower than Deliso's, being confined essentially to Bosnia. It is less a study of the role of al-Qa'ida and the mujahedin in Bosnia and more a diatribe against the Bosnian Muslims and the Bosnian cause. Despite the author's claim to having had a youthful flirtation with Islam, he is clearly hostile to the religion and views the Bosnian war on this basis."; "Deliso's animosity in particular is directed against the Albanians, and he faithfully upholds anti-Albanian stereotypes popular among the Balkan Christian peoples."; "Shay's run-of-the-mill-first-year-undergraduate-quality potted history of the Balkans repeats some of the historical and other factual errors made by Deliso and Schindler, in particular at the expense of the Bosnian Muslims (...) If one simply ignores everything Shay's book has to say about Balkan politics, then one can glean a few nuggets of information from it concerning the politics of radical Islam globally and of the Muslim states of the Middle East. But this is not enough to recommend this book (...)
- ^ a b c Innes 2006, p. 157.
- ^ a b LA Times, Bosnia Seen as Hospitable Base and Sanctuary for Terrorists, 8 October 2001
- ^ "Predrag Matvejević: "Slovenski muslimani u Bosni", essay published in EL PAIS". Archived from the original on 2012-12-08.
- ^ Matvejević, Predrag (13 October 2001). "Los musulmanes eslavos de Bosnia". El País (in Spanish). EL PAIS. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ "Humanitarian worker turned Mujahideen". Archived from the original on 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ^ "ICTY: Mujahideen didn't trust the Army". Sense Agency. Archived from the original on 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ Fisk, Robert (7 September 2014). "After the atrocities committed against Muslims in Bosnia, it is no wonder today's jihadis have set out on the path to war in Syria". The Independent.
- ^ a b c ICTY: Summary of the judgement for Enver Hadžihasanović and Amir Kubura - "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Spero News Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Bosnia: Muslims upset by Wahhabi leaders, Adrian Morgan, 13 November 2006
- ^ ICTY, Summary of the Judgment for Enver Hadzihasanovic and Amir Kubura, 15 March 2006. See section "VI. The Mujahedin"
- ^ a b "WHY BH ARMY FAILED TO DEAL WITH MUJAHIDEEN - SENSE Agency - News". www.sense-agency.com. SENSE Agency. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "ICTY - TPIY". Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ^ Curtis 2010, p. 207.
- ^ PBS Newshour with Jim Jim Lehrer Archived 2013-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, A New Constitution for Bosnia, 22 November 2005
- ^ 9/11 Commission Report, Chapter 5.2, pp. 153–159
- ^ "BBC News - EUROPE - Mujahideen fight Bosnia evictions". Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ^ "'Brutal crimes' of Bosnia Muslims". BBC News. December 2, 2003.
- ^ Berger 2011, p. 93.
- ^ Swicord, Jeff (November 17, 2015). "Seeds of Jihad Planted in the Balkans". Voice of America.
- ^ Erjavec, Dragana (June 8, 2016). "Bosnia Mujahideen Prisoner 'Forced to Kiss Severed Head'". JusticeReport. BIRN.
- ^ Urban, Mark (2 July 2015). "Bosnia: Cradle of modern jihad?". BBC. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
Its commander at the time, Brigadier General Enver Hadzihasanovic, ended up facing a war crimes trial in the Hague on charges of overall responsibility for some of the Mujahideen's behaviour, including the Travnik kidnappings. In the end, the prosecution dropped those charges, but the general served two years, having been found guilty of having (Bosnian) troops under him who had abused prisoners.
- ^ "Hadžihasanović & Kubura Appeals Only Partially Granted". www.icty.org.
- ^ "Summary of the Judgement for Hadžihasanović and Kubura" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ^ "ICTY - TPIY". Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Press - International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia". www.icty.org. ICTY. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Rasim Delić Sentenced to Three Years for Cruel Treatment". ICTY.org. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. 15 September 2008.
- ^ "Bosnia Awards Iraqi War Crimes Convict €36,600". Balkan Insight. 9 November 2016.
- ^ "FINAL JUDGMENT FOR HADZIHASANOVIC AND KUBURA - SENSE Agency - News". www.sense-agency.com. SENSE Agency. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Dzidic, Denis (January 25, 2016). "Report Probes Mujahideen Killings During Bosnian War". BalkanInsight.com.
- ^ "Army of BiH commander Mahmuljin sentenced to 10 years in prison for war crime". fena.ba. 22 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Prosecutor v. Milomir Stakic". un.org. 31 July 2003. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008.
- ^ "STAKIC: CRIMES AND FORCIBLE EXPULSIONS OF PRIJEDOR INHABITANTS ARE A FACT - SENSE Agency - News". www.sense-agency.com. SENSE Agency. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ "Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic". un.org. 7 May 1997. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008.
- ^ a b "Kordic and Cerkez - Judgement". www.icty.org.
- ^ "SENSE Tribunal: Poziv na predaju". Archived from the original on 2008-06-04.
- ^ "SENSE Tribunal: Ko je počeo rat u Gornjem Vakufu". Archived from the original on 2008-06-04.
- ^ "SENSE Tribunal: "James Dean" u Gornjem Vakufu". Archived from the original on 2008-06-04.
- ^ a b Spaić, Igor (7 September 2017). "Bosnia War Victims Slam Croatia President's Terror Claims". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ "Mektić: Paraobavještajne strukture bi mogle inscenirati napad da bi BiH prikazale kao radikalnu". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- Netherlands Institute for War Documentation. 10 April 2002. Archived from the originalon 28 September 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ^ "Ex-Yougoslavie: les phalanges" (in French). Archived from the original on 2013-09-21.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-415-50264-1.
- ^ Karli, Sina (11 November 2006). "Šveđanin priznao krivnju za ratne zločine u BiH" [Swede confesses to war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina] (in Croatian). Nacional (weekly). Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-19-829200-5.
- ^ a b Koknar 2003.
- ^ "Wspomnienia byłego najemnika, Polaka - uczestnika wojny w Bośni i Hercegowinie/ Johny B., "Kurier WNET" 70/2020". May 1, 2020.
- ^ "Japanski dobrovoljac u vojsci RS". 10 December 2015.
- ^ "Ruski i grčki dobrovoljci u ratu u BiH".
Haški tribunal procjenjuje kako je u redovima VRS bilo je između 529 i 614 ratnika iz Rusije, Grčke, Rumunije.
- ^ "Ruski dobrovoljci dali život za srpsku braću". NOVOSTI.
- ^ "Russian soldiers in Bosnia". www.pravdareport.com. 13 October 2003.
- ^ a b Koknar, Ali M. (14 July 2003). "The Kontraktniki : Russian mercenaries at war in the Balkans". Bosnian Institute. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ISBN 978-5-04-000181-1.
Так, с 1 января 1993 года в Вишеграде параллельно с РДО-2 появился и действовал казачий отряд численностью около сорока человек, так называемая Первая казачья сотня во главе с человеком, более известным как Александр Загребов. Люди приехали в основном из Ростовской области, Поволжья и Москвы. Казаки, получив для усиления БРДМ, действовали, как и РДО-2, в качестве ударного отряда пехоты. В 1992 году Загребов воевал на стороне сербов ...
- ^ Granić, Mate (30 June 1995). "Letter dated 30 June 1995 from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia addressed to the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of the use of mercenaries". UN. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ^ Smith, Helena (5 January 2003). "Greece faces shame of role in Serb massacre". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ^ ICG & 26 February 2013, p. 14.
- ^ CSIS, Foreign Fighters: Bosnia.
- ^ Shrader 2003, p. 51.
- ^ Berger 2011, p. 55.
Sources
- "Bosnia", Foreign Fighters, CSIS, archived from the original on 2017-10-26, retrieved 2017-10-26
- International Crisis Group (26 February 2013). "Bosnia's Dangerous Tango: Islam and Nationalism" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- Berger, J. M. (2011). Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam. Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59797-693-0.
- Cory-Jones, Keith (2011). War Dogs: British Mercenaries in Bosnia Tell Their Own Story. Random House. pp. 137–. ISBN 978-1-4464-9290-1.
- Curtis, Mark (2010). Secret Affairs: Britain's Collusion with Radical Islam. Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-84668-763-1.
- Innes, Michael A. (2006). Bosnian Security After Dayton: New Perspectives. Routledge. pp. 157–. ISBN 978-1-134-14872-1.
- Kohlmann, Evan (2004). Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network. Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1-85973-802-3.
- Moghadam, Assaf (2011). The Globalization of Martyrdom: Al Qaeda, Salafi Jihad, and the Diffusion of Suicide Attacks. JHU Press. ISBN 9781421400587.
- Shrader, Charles R. (2003). The Muslim-Croat Civil War in Central Bosnia: A Military History, 1992-1994. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-261-4.
Further reading
- ICTY - Cases—ICTY database with the documents that are of informative nature (Press) only and are not ICTY official records.
- Radio Free Europe - Al-Qaeda In Bosnia-Herzegovina: Myth Or Present Danger, Vlado Azinovic's research about the alleged presence of Al-Qaeda in Bosnia and the role of Arab fighters in the Bosnian War
- Zosak, Stephanie. "Revoking citizenship in the name of counterterrorism: the citizenship review commission violates human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina." Nw. UJ Int'l Hum. Rts. 8 (2009): 216.
- Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn & Edwin Bakker, Returning Western foreign fighters: The case of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Somalia (International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - The Hague, 2014)
- Zulczyk, M., The Sabotage Activities of Volunteers from the Former Soviet Union Countries During the Wars on the Territory of Former Yugoslavia.
- Mustapha, Jennifer. "The Mujahideen in Bosnia: the foreign fighter as cosmopolitan citizen and/or terrorist." Citizenship Studies 17.6-7 (2013): 742-755.
- Mincheva, Lyubov G., and Ted Robert Gurr. "Unholy Alliances: Evidence on Linkages between Trans-State Terrorism and Crime Networks: The Case of Bosnia." Transnational Terrorism, Organized Crime and Peace-Building. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2010. 190-206.
- Innes, Michael A. "Terrorist sanctuaries and Bosnia-Herzegovina: Challenging conventional assumptions." Studies in conflict & terrorism 28.4 (2005): 295-305.
External links
- SENSE-Agency - official ICTY press-agency
- Kroeger, Alix. "Mujahideen fight Bosnia evictions." (2008).
- Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), CTY: BiH Army Knew About Mujahedin Crimes, 8 September 2007
- Bosnian fears rise over Islamic extremism, Financial Times, June 29, 2010
- Radio Free Europe - Al-Qaeda In Bosnia-Herzegovina: Myth Or Present Danger
- USDDR International Volunteers Association
- Croatian Forces International Volunteers Association