NATO dismissing generals, Ivanić ordering withdrawal of all Serbs from AF BiH

The already difficult situation created by the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Armed Forces of BiH participating in celebrations marking the unconstitutional holiday of the Day of RS is becoming more complicated.

There is mounting evidence that this is more than just another political competition between Dodik and Ivanić as to 'who is a bigger Serb'.

This may well be an elaborate scenario, which could result in the secession of Serb personnel in military structures and their withdrawal to barracks situated on RS territory, unless an adequate response follows based on the Constitution of BiH, Criminal Law of BiH, Defense and AF laws, as well as NATO's and EUFOR's reactions. The withdrawal could be easily ordered by Ivanić, who has already demonstrated his ability to do so without agreement from the two other members of the BiH Presidency.

Few could think that four Serb generals from the AF BiH showed up at the celebration in Banja Luka by accident and independently.

Dressed in their honorary uniforms, there stood shoulder to shoulder Mirko Tepšić, Deputy Chief of the Joint HQ, Dragan Vuković, Commander of the Operational Command, Radovan Ilić, Commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade, and Gojko Knežević, Deputy Commander of the Support Resources Command of the Armed Forces BiH.

Besides the four Serb generals, Colonels Nebojša Janković and Milorad Krajsumović also attended the event, along with Colonel Savo Vidaković, who observed the lining up of the 3rd Infantry Regiment.

Janković is the commander of the Military Intelligence Battalion of the AF BiH. His predecessors were Vidaković and Krajsumović. All of them are experienced officers and intelligence officers, who have highly likely participated in drafting and implementing a plan to destabilize the BiH Armed Forces.

Colonel Krajsumović is the Head of HQs in the Tactical Support Brigade of the Armed Forces. The Military Intelligence Battalion is part of the brigade.

Colonel Vidaković, who also attended the lining up of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, presently serves as the Commander of the 1st Battalion, which also contains the 6th Infantry Brigade, as well as the 3rd Infantry Regiment.

Based on the regulations of the Guidelines of the SFOR Commander to the parties in BiH, which are effective, the NATO BiH Commander, Brig. General Giselle Wilz, and General Major Friedrich Schröter may sanction and even dismiss the four generals on the grounds of anti-Dayton activities, which includes marking a non-constitutional holiday.

General Wilz and General Major Schröter can make such a decision independent of the investigation launched by the Defense Ministry of BiH.

General Đukić dismissed 12 years ago

Twelve years ago, then commanders of the NATO HQ and EUFOR BiH dismissed the Head of the General HQs of the RS Army, General Novak Đukić.

Generals David Leakey and Steven Schook made the decision at the time based on their assessment that General Đukić was responsible for letting a number of RS Army recruits swear allegiance to the RS instead of Bosnia and Herzegovina at a ceremony that took place on April 16, 2005.

- The events brought into question the constitutional loyalty and military professionalism of the RS Army chain of command, and as such they represent a serious challenge in the process of defense reform, the NATO BiH and EUFOR commanders said at the time.

They also issued an order to suspend all recruits from Manjača, announcing their dismissal from service. The third measure was to ban participating and public speaking of war veterans at official military ceremonies.

- The behavior of the veterans association during the events in Manjača was hostile and counter to the Dayton Peace Agreement, NATO and EUFOR said at the time.