NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina
| NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Grumman EA-6B Prowler aircraft flying an I-FOR mission | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Western European Union (1993–1996) Supported Countries:  Croatia Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia |
 FR Yugoslavia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Jeremy Boorda  / Stuart Peach / Michael E. Ryan  / Rupert Smith / Satish Nambiar / Lars-Eric Wahlgren/ Bernard Janvier/ Dick Applegate Franjo Tuđman Gojko Šušak Janko Bobetko Alija Izetbegović Haris Silajdžić Sefer Halilović Rasim Delić Mate Boban Milivoj Petković Slobodan Praljak |
Radovan Karadžić Biljana Plavšić Ratko Mladić Dragomir Milošević Milan Martić Milan Babić Goran Hadžić Slobodan Milošević Vojislav Koštunica Zoran Đinđić | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
60,000 soldiers |
50,000–100,000 soldiers | ||||||
The NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a series of actions undertaken by NATO whose stated aim was to establish long-term peace during and after the Bosnian War.[1] NATO's intervention began as largely political and symbolic, but gradually expanded to include large-scale air operations and the deployment of approximately 60,000 soldiers of the Implementation Force.
Early involvement and monitoring
On July 10, 1992, at a meeting in
Enforcing compliance 1992–1993
On November 16, 1992, the Security Council issued Resolution 787, which called upon member states to "halt all inward and outbound maritime shipping in order to inspect and verify their cargos" to ensure compliance with sanctions.[5] In response to this resolution, NATO deactivated Maritime Monitor on November 22, and replaced it with Operation Maritime Guard, under which NATO forces were authorized to stop ships and inspect their cargos. Unlike Sky Monitor and Maritime Monitor, this was a true enforcement mission, not just a monitoring one.[2]
NATO's air mission also switched from monitoring to enforcement. The Security Council issued Resolution 816, which authorized states to use measures "to ensure compliance" with the no-fly zone over Bosnia.[6] In response, on April 12, 1993, NATO initiated Operation Deny Flight which was tasked with enforcing the no-fly zone, using fighter aircraft based in the region.[7]
Throughout 1993, the role of NATO forces in Bosnia gradually grew. On June 10, 1993, NATO and the UN agreed that aircraft acting under Deny Flight would provide
Growing role of air power 1994
On February 28, 1994, the scope of NATO involvement in Bosnia increased dramatically. In an incident near Banja Luka, NATO fighters from the USAF, operating under Deny Flight, shot down four Serb jets. This was the first combat operation in the history of NATO and opened the door for a steadily growing NATO presence in Bosnia.[8] In April, the presence of NATO airpower continued to grow during a Serb attack on Goražde. In response, NATO launched its first close air support mission on April 10, 1994, bombing several Serb targets at the request of UN commanders.[9]
Operations in 1995 and Operation Deliberate Force
NATO continued its air operations over Bosnia in the first half of 1995. During this period, American pilot
Srebrenica and the London Conference
In July 1995, the Bosnian Serbs launched an attack on the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, ending with the deaths of approximately 8,000 civilians in the Srebrenica massacre. After the events at Srebrenica, 16 nations met at the London Conference, beginning on July 21, 1995, to consider new options for Bosnia. As a result of the conference, UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali gave General Bernard Janvier, the UN military commander, the authority to request NATO airstrikes without consulting civilian UN officials, as a way to streamline the process.[10] As a result of the conference, the North Atlantic Council and the UN also agreed to use NATO air strikes in response to attacks on any of the other safe areas in Bosnia. The participants at the conference also agreed in principle to the use of large-scale NATO air strikes in response to future acts of aggression by Serbs.[11]
Operation Deliberate Force
After the London Conference, NATO planned an aggressive new air campaign against the Bosnian Serbs. On August 28, 1995, Serb forces
Dayton Accords and IFOR
Largely as a result of the bombing under
References
- ISBN 9780847690015.
- ^ a b "JFC Naples/AFSOUTH, 1951-2009: OVER FIFTY YEARS WORKING FOR PEACE AND STABILITY". Allied Joint Forces Command Naples. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27.
- ^ "Operation Maritime Monitor". GlobalSecurity.org.
- ^ "United Nations Resolution 757 (1992)". May 30, 1992. 6.a.
- ^ "Resolution 787" (PDF).
- ^ "Resolution 816" (PDF). United Nations Security Council Resolutions. UN Security Council. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- ^ Beale, Michael. Bombs over Bosnia: The Role of Airpower in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Air University Press, 1997. p. 19
- ^ Beale, Michael. Bombs over Bosnia: The Role of Airpower in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Air University Press, 1997. p. 2-3
- ^ Gordon, Michael (April 11, 1994). "Conflict in the Balkans: NATO; Modest Air Operation in Bosnia Crosses a Major Political Frontier". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
- ^ Beale, Michael. Bombs over Bosnia: The Role of Airpower in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Air University Press, 1997. p. 34
- ISBN 1-58566-115-5p. 253
- ISBN 1-58566-076-0
Further reading
- Phillips, R. Cody. Bosnia-Herzegovina: The U.S. Army's Role in Peace Enforcement Operations 1995-2004. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 70-97-1. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14.
