Bosnian War Logistics

[Yank in Germany]

I am Doug and I am working on a research project on the Bosnian War 1991-1995. I am trying to record how the Bosnians supplied their forces with equipment in the face of a UN arms embargo. This story probably involves illegal arms purchases, diversionary attacks on UNPROFOR, capture of enemy stocks, and Islamic Extremists and Iranian involvement, hell we might as well list the CIA as a suspect.

I'd like to interview former UNPROFOR soldiers who may have seized arms shipments and caches to determine sources and travel routes for the weapons.

I'd also gladly talk to any officers from the ABiH and HVO to discuss how they were supplied.

Anyone with recommendations with research resources can contact me via this blog.

[bourbon]

Hi Doug,
Sounds like a cool project. I have researched the ''Iran-Bosnia Greenlight" for a paper once before.

Peter Andreas had an article "The Clandestine Political Economy of War and Peace in Bosnia", International Studies Quarterly 48, no. 1 (March 2004): 29–52. Which has subsequently been expanded into: Blue Helmets and Black Markets: The Business of Survival in the Siege of Sarajevo, Cornell University Press, 2008. I have not read the latest incarnation, but the article is a good start.

Here is the good stuff from by bibliography, I hope it helps.

Books
Tim Ripley, Operation Delibrate Force: The UN NATO Campaign in Bosnia, (CDISS, 1999).
John R. Schindler, Unholy Terror: Bosnia, Al-Qa'ida, and The Rise of Global Jihad. Zenith Press, 2007.
Cees Wiebes, Intelligence and the War in Bosnia, 1992-1995. Lit Verlag, 2003. (Or his report in the annex of Srebrenica: A 'Safe' Area.)

Reports
Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence US Senate, U.S Actions Regarding Iranian and Other Arms Transfers to the Bosnian Army, 1994-1995, Washington DC, 1996.
Final report of the Select Subcommittee to Investigate the United States Role in Iranian Arms Transfers to Croatia and Bosnia ("the Iranian Green Light Subcommittee") (http://www.archive.org/details/finalreportofsel00unit)


Magazines and Journals
Marko Milivojevic, 'Slovenia - An Arms Bazaar', Jane's Intelligence Review, Vol. 6 (1994)
H.K. Roy (pseudonym), "Betrayal in the Balkans" (http://www.worldandi.com/public/2001/August/roy.html), The World & I, August 2001.
Tom Hunter, "The Embargo That Wasn't: Iran's Arms Shipments into Bosnia." Jane's Intelligence Review, December 1997.
Bruce D. Hicks, "Lifting the Arms Embargo on the Bosnian Muslims: Secret Diplomacy or Covert Action?" International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Volume 18, Number 2, Number 2/Summer 2005 , pp. 246-261(16).
Maud S. Beelman Fingerprints: Arms to Bosnia, The Real Story." The New Republic, October 28, 1996.

Newspapers
Ed Vulliamy, 'America's Secret Bosnia Agenda', The Observer, 20/11/94.
John Pomfret, 'US Allies Fed Pipeline Of Covert Arms in Bosnia', The Washington Post, 12/05/96.
James Risen, 'Secret messages by U.S. spies anger envoys', Los Angeles Times, 24/12/96.
James Risen, 'Closer U.S. role seen on Bosnia Iran arms pipeline', Los Angeles Times, 23/12/96.
James Risen & Doyle McManus, 'U.S. had options to let Bosnia get arms', Los Angeles Times, 14/07/96.
Tim Weiner & Raumond Bonner, 'Gun-Running in the Balkans: CIA and Diplomats Collide', The New York Times, 29/05/96.

Also: http://intelwire.egoplex.com/hayden-bosnia.htm

I also have info on the charities used to funnel arms and money into Bosnia. TWRA (http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=third_world_relief_agency_1)bein g one of the bigger one. Let me know what you need.