I F 0 R Published in the interest of the Implementation Forces Wednesday, December 18, 1996 Vol. I, N0 23 INSIDE 'Almeria' Brigade arrives ... Page 3 /FOR Soldiers fi·om Norway, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Uhraine, France, Portugal, Turleey, Rom.ania, .Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Spain and a Swiss OSCE membe1; join together to give the thumbs up to the success/iLl end of /FOR's mission on be hall of their countries and all the other contributing nations. Photo: CPIC, Sarajevo Superman fights mines P{/ge 5 IFOR: mission accomplished s •• SFOR: mission goes on F ner. " Most significantly, he Less than 90 days from D­ was able to refer to the skills elay, Lt. Gen. Sir Michael 0 of the first IFOR troops as Walker, Commander of the "making the nearly impossi­ ACE Rapid Reaction Corps, R ble seem routine." speaking as commander of These statements were IFOR Land Forces, was able made against a backdrop of to comment upon his forces' David Taylor daily, world-wide media cov­ success as they prepared for erage that showed the first the final days of implement­ brave men and women of Getting l\1ostar airport NATO-led, multi-national ing what would become the Europe, the U.S., and around ready l'm:e 7 ednesday, Feb. 14, deployment - almost 60,000 Inter Entity Boundary Line the world, are striving to 1996 - Barely two troops from more than 30 (IEBL) and ensuring that make every moment of their Wmonths after h._. contributing nations Faction troops continued time here count for some­ signing of the Dayton Peat L 1 ollm~ powerfully and withdrawal to their bar­ thing; to leave a legacy. I Accord and armed with J. zap1dly into the Balkan win­ racks, and their weapons be applaud you all." strong mandate for lm; ter The largest military placed into cantonment. Those early days of IFOR troops - then COMJFOR, operation in Europe since Expressing his confidence in were summed up by Adm. Adm. Leighton W Smith Jr. World \\'.u- II had moved the IFOR troops to fulfill the Smith as he handed over was able to look back on the from the plJ.nr.mg ~tages military side of the mandate command to Adm. Lopez on deployment of an "enor­ into reality, \\ 1th IFOR and move on into a period of July 13, 1996: "Day one ... mous number of forces and forces swiftly J.nd deter­ consolidation and confidence we set the tone. We said we material in a pretty short minedly separatmg those building in the population of are different." He also com­ time ... (and) the implemen­ Factions that only day · and BiH, Sir Michael stated, "I mented that his departure tation of the Peace weeks before had been am confident that we can came after IFOR had .\grcement in a tremen­ locked in particularly cruel continue to be successful. I Meeting the children {.. u,;ly professional man- civil war. know, too, that all of the Continued on page 2. fJ{/81' /(} ~~~===~-~- the militruy achievements of IFOR der. Lt. Gen. Walker. he also made reference to "more than In a matter of days, IFOR, the m1 • 5,600 civil-militmy cooperation pro­ itary force that deployed as the over­ In jects and the work of over 7,000 engi­ seer of the Zone of Separation, fre ~ ~~------~----------------------------------~ neers from 15 nations in repairing and elections and the return of refugel' Sp (Jontinued from page 1. look at it and say 'this country, this replacing 60 bridges; 2,500 kilometers will ~,rive way to a force which \\'Ill place, is better becau ·e I was here."' of roads and railways; gas, water, elec­ help provide a secure environment accomplished its military phase and By Sept. 14, after giving the back­ tricity, public transportation and tele­ that encourag·es and supports self­ had moved into "the civil-political" ground security which allowed BiH's phone service · to mru1y cities and vil­ reconstruction. NATO's Implement­ phase. presidential elections to take place lages; and helping to provide airpmi ation Force will become NATO's He was referring to the fact that almost without incident, IFOR sol­ authorities \vith the ability to recom­ Stabilization Force ( 'FOR). organizations such as the diers could claim they had fully mence commercial chatter ru1d regular The requirements of the Dayton Organization for Security and matched up to COMIFOR's chal­ airline passenger service." Peace Accord, agTeed to by all par­ Cooperation in Europe (OSCEJ would lenge. Ambassador Robert H. Gen. William W Crouch's appoint­ ties, are very clear. SFOR, like come to the fore in leading Bosnia Frowick, Head of the OSCE Mission ment as COMIFOR also marked a IFOR before it, will maintain the a1'ld Herzegovina through the proc ss in BiH, didn't mince his words. "The transfer of authority from Allied military ta ·k · of the mandate, but of becoming a democratic country, OSCE ... regru·ds the efforts of IFOR Forces Southern Europe, Naples, following on from the soon-to-be­ while IFOR got on with the job of as extraordinary. I don't know of any Italy, to Land Forces Central completed IFOR mission, SFOR maintaining the security levels neces­ similru· experience in history of a Europe, Heidelberg, Germany. will be operating in a different envi­ sary for this process to take place. large militmy contingent working Having worked closely with Lt. Gen. ronment while continuing to exe­ In an interview given shortly after with the civilian aspects of an inter­ Walker in assuring a smooth cute the military aspects of the assuming command, Adm. T. Joseph national community effort to ensure Transfer of Authority, Gen. Crouch Peace Agreement It will also assist Lopez laid down a challenge to IFOR success of an electoral process like bade the ARRC HQ fmewell in a cer­ in the consolidation of the peace by troops: "In some way, do something this one. It was brilliant." emony held on Nov. 20 in Sarajevo. A contributing, within its capabilities, that chm1ges this environment, this Shortly before handing over com­ statue was unveiled to commemorate to a secure environment in which countly for the better while you m·e mand of the IFOR to Gen. William the ARRC's achievement in BiH. ongoing civil implementation plans here. So that when your tour of duty Crouch on Nov. 7, Adm. Lopez Gen. Crouch commended !FOR's can be carried out. is done and you get on that aircraft to thanked hi troops for a "fantastic Land Forces for an "absolutely mag­ The work continues, but with a fly away, you can turn mound and ride." Significantly, while recording nificent job" through their com man- different focu and fewer forces. Media comments on ·IFOR • End to delay in mms reduction SA Today, 06 Dec. (Europe) - The inter­ JOC David Desilets • Mine clem·ance speeded up. Unational militm·y operation in Bosnia is a ·t j • Internationally supervised municipal elections cess, ministers fi·om 43 countries said ... "There are 'J'>ronto Star (Metro) 5 Dec. (Canada) by summer 1997. important areas of'tlze peace agreement where little .1. "Canadians committed to Bosnia... 1,200 troops • International mediator role strengthened. progress has been made," the ministers said in a to new peace force. Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd statement... Reflecting international frustration at Axworthy... a.shed for a commitment in return. h e In depend ent, 5 Dec. (U.K.)- Bosnia's the slow pace of the peace, the conference set dead­ Canada wants the world community to force Bosnia T old enemies get round table ... The London lines for goals meant lo have been achieved by now, to deal with indicted war criminals ... " he said, conference on ecurity arrangements for Bosnia but obstructed by bickering and power hom·ding "There lws been far too much rhetoric and far too lit­ for the next two years got underway yesterday, mnong the three wmTing parties. tle action... The whole credibility of.. the peace amid 'news of unrest in Serbia and calls for a process we think rests very much on having a clear reappraisal of the relationship between ATO he Times, 06 Dec. (U.K.) - Bosnia tri­ commitment to en ure that the war crimes tribunal and Rus ia ... The British government said events T bunal boo ·t ... With the promise of more is able to do its worl? and to do it in a way that brings in Belgrade were "very much on our minds ... " international help, offered .. , at the conference on a sense of justice and ends a lot of the impunity With SFOR details already announced, senior Bosnia in London, the (Hague international) tri­ issues that have been plaguing that country." NATO ources focused more on the way NATO btmal is expected to expand operations. Malcolm might use the conference to strengthen its rela­ Rifkind said he would be "extremely dissatisfied" Bosnia peace conference tions with the Russians who provide troops for if General Ratko Mladic... and Radovan D eu ter, London, 05 Dec. - Here are the Bosnia. Karadzic ... as well as other indicted war crimi­ .I. \,principal points of the agre.ed action plan: nals had nol been dealt with within the next 12 • For the first time, aid is linked to adherence to he Times, 5 Dec. (U.K.) - About 16,000 months. Dayton peace agTeement. T people are still missing, pre umed killed, in • The WM Crimes Tribunal to be given extra Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the bitterness of the D euter, Sarajevo, 7 Dec. - The London resource . waiting families poses a huge threat to peace in .I. \,peace review conference ended Thursday • The International Police Task Force to boosted the country until their fate has been deter­ with the buzzword "c.:onclitionali~v" on every­ in hunt for indicted war criminals.