Defeat for the BiH Prosecutor's Office: The Fourth Corps could not target Kalinovik, nor were civilians ever targeted!

A. Čorbo-Zećo

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At the trial in the case of Ramiz Dreković, a witness for the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Esad Ramić, otherwise commander of the Forward Command Post Bjelimići, confirmed that the Fourth Corps artillery targeted the enemy's front line and their units that were fiercely attacking Konjic, surrounding villages, and members of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that they never targeted civilian objectives.

"The Fourth Corps never targeted civilian objectives, nor did such an order ever arrive at the IKM Bjelimići where I was commander, nor would I have carried out such an order," said Ramić.

He stated that the Fourth Corps operated exclusively according to planning documentation that contained only military objectives.

"We worked strictly according to planning documents, and Dreković never asked me to target any civilian objectives, nor would I have fulfilled that," said Ramić.

Dreković is charged with ordering the indiscriminate shelling of the town of Kalinovik, populated by people of Serbian nationality.

"I haven't even heard that Dreković ever asked anyone to target civilian objectives. The Fourth Corps did not have much artillery. We didn't even have original ammunition for the 122 mm howitzer; we made it ourselves in Jablanica, so the howitzer fired at 60 percent of its total range. Therefore, we couldn't even hit Kalinovik. The First Corps helped us, because due to the inability to respond to fierce artillery attacks, we sought assistance from the First Corps, which had better artillery and original ammunition previously captured," said Ramić.

He confirmed to the defense attorneys that the Serbian forces carried out the fiercest artillery attacks at the end of the fifth and beginning of the sixth month of 1995.

"Dreković was quite strict and respected subordination to the end," said Ramić.

To prosecutor Milanko Kajganić, Ramić explained that the IKM was formed in March 1995 due to the need to consolidate the ranks of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the enemy was attacking fiercely and there was a fear that the VRS would link up. He noted that 70 civilians were killed and 33 children were killed. 

"The enemy attacked from the direction of Kalinovik, they occupied several villages, killed civilians too, there was panic," said Ramić.

At that time, they had a 105 mm howitzer, a 122 mm howitzer, and mortars used by the brigades.

He confirmed that an artillery log and a combat activity report were written, and that the IKM Bjelimići had a communication package, i.e., it communicated with the Fourth Corps command via dispatch, as there was no wired connection.

"We didn't even have a road, what kind of connection," said Ramić.

According to him, there was no unauthorized action, nor were more projectiles fired than approved. Ramić said he remained in that position until mid-May 1995 and that a new IKM commander arrived, to whom he handed over duties in the following days.

The trial continues on March 10.