From: CP6uH@plains.NoDak.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia
Subject: War in Bosnia-Herzegovina ( VREME NDA 22 Jul 1992 )
Date: 22 Jul 92 19:21:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: plains.19285
Organization: University of North Dakota at Grand Forks


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     "Vreme" News Digest Agency                       No. 43, July 20, 1992
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    War in Bosnia-Herzegovina
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                            The Corridors of Death


           The goal of the biggest operations since the outbreak of
           war  in  Bosnia-Herzegovina  is  completing  the  ethnic
                          "purge" of the territories

    The Krajina corps  of the army of the Serbian  Republic of B&H took over
    Operation  "Corridor"  in  mid-July,  assisted  by  the Serbian units in
    northern Bosnia. Serbian sources say  these forces took control of Odzak
    and Gradacac  last week and  made a breakthrough  to the Sava  river, at
    Novi Grad near Odzak.

    In the past month the Serbian  forces took Derventa and Modrica and also
    some small towns and villages in  that area. The Croatian media admitted
    to the loss of some smaller strongholds,  but not to the towns the Serbs
    are already speaking of as "liberated".

    Until  a  month  ago,  Modrica,  Derventa,  Gradacac, Odzak, Garevac and
    Modran were under the control  of the Croatian-Moslem forces which drove
    the Serbs  back to Bosanska  Krajina and to  the villages. These  forces
    took over  the initiative on the  front thanks to strong  Croatian armed
    forced which  crossed the Sava  into northern Bosnia  in April, May  and
    June.

    The Serbian authorities in the Bosnian and Kninska Krajina realized that
    with the  advancement of Croatian-Moslem  forces in northern  Bosnia all
    lines  between  the  territories  under  Serbian  control  and the FR of
    Yugoslavia have been  broken. Any kind of aid arriving  by air is out of
    the  question,  so  a  corridor  through  northern  Bosnia  has become a
    priority to the survival of the Krajinas.

    The goal  of the Serbian  forces is, evidently,  drawing borders in  the
    north,  along the  Sava and  south to  the Doboj  environs which is also
    under  Serbian control.  This would  ensure a  safe corridor between the
    Krajinas of the FRY.

    The fighting in the Gorazde region  can best be described as a merciless
    war  for "ethnically  pure territories".  The fighting  in this town has
    been going on for the past seventy days, as it is the last stronghold of
    the Moslem forces in the upper course of the Drina.

    Ever since  April, the Serbian  side has been  claiming that, after  the
    fall of  Foca and Visegrad,  it is holding  Gorazde surrounded. However,
    last Tuesday the  command of the Serbian army  accused the Moslem forces
    of  holding  Gorazde  surrounded  and  of  burning  Serbian villages and
    killing Serbs in the vicinity of the town.

    According to Moslem sources, there  are about 100,000 people in Gorazde,
    mostly  refugees  from  the  towns  and  villages  in  the neighborhood.
    According to Serbian  sources, the Serbs have already  broken through to
    some parts of the town.

    The Sarajevo media  is obvious in its attempt to  try and use Gorazde to
    secure  international support  for a  military intervention  against the
    Serbs. Gorazde  is being compared  to Vukovar, and  Moslem sources claim
    that  Serbian  forces  are  receiving  reinforcements  from  Serbia  and
    Montenegro.

    Serbs inhabit  a large area  west and north  of Gorazde whose  center is
    Pale. In the north-east is Visegrad  and south are Cajnice and Foca. All
    these towns are controlled by the Serbian forces.

    Almost  every town  mentioned here  has been  reduced to  rubble. It  is
    impossible  to determine  the number  of dead  and wounded civilians and
    soldiers in this operation. It seems  that Modrica has suffered the most
    - it changed hands  more than once - and during  that time was bombed by
    planes,  heavy  artillery  and  every  kind  of  infantry weapon. If the
    fighting continues the fate of Gorazde will be even worse.
                                                               Dragan Janjic


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     "Vreme" News Digest Agency                       No. 43, July 20, 1992
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