Foreign lobbyists on the offensive: The region moves forward, BiH remains without NATO membership through demilitarization

The propaganda machinery aimed at achieving the long-term plan of the RS policy (directed from Belgrade) for the demilitarization of Bosnia and Herzegovina and lobbying against NATO membership, while the countries in the region retain their armies, has been "activated" again and talks have started that the BiH Defense Review, which the BiH Presidency is supposed to agree on, is not good, writes the Patria news agency.

Lobbying groups from the US to Great Britain, which the current authorities in RS, led by Milorad Dodik, generously pay, have been activated in a new attempt to start reducing budget allocations for the needs of the BiH Armed Forces, to reduce the number of soldiers, not to buy equipment, and to start the demilitarization process in the final stage.

Živko Marjanac, former Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH, says that in the preparation of the BiH Defense Review, "NATO's stance that the army should be without aviation and armored vehicles was neglected, because the planned number of soldiers is significantly higher than what was previously agreed upon."

The BiH Presidency member from the Serb people, Mladen Ivanić, on the other hand, says that he would have preferred "the stance of 8,175 members of the BiH Armed Forces to pass, as well as for them to be without aviation and armored vehicles."

Some also object to the Air Surveillance and Reporting Battalion (VOJ), whose exclusive jurisdiction is airspace control. Lack of equipment prevents members of this battalion from doing their job. The problem is therefore the budget, i.e., greater allocation of funds for the needs of the BiH Armed Forces.

A media offensive has begun and the public is being misinformed. The Defense Review, as a document, is not yet finished, and attempts are being made to present it as a done deal.  

These are only guidelines adopted by the BiH Presidency for the preparation of this important document, which must be completed by the end of November this year.

Sources from the BiH Presidency told us that there were various proposals during the preparation of the guidelines, where member Ivanić requested a reduction in the budget for the BiH Armed Forces, and at the same time an increase in the number of prospective military warehouses.

There are currently four in FBiH, and one in RS, and Ivanić requested that it be increased by one more, so that the ratio would be 4:2. He recently stated to the media that the number of members of the BiH Armed Forces will be reduced from 10,000 to 9,200, and the number of prospective locations from 63 to 57.

He also emphasized the issue of selling surplus weapons and military equipment, pointing out that large quantities of ammunition need to be dealt with, and to define what to sell and to whom.

Although the BiH Defense Review, as an official document that will represent the development strategy of the BiH Armed Forces in the next 10 years, will only be finalized in three months, an offensive media campaign for the demilitarization of BiH has begun, which means no NATO membership either.  

Where will 10,000 people be employed if demilitarization is carried out, which is already being advocated through the theses that the BiH Defense Review is not a good document, and what will happen to the defense industry? What does BiH gain and what does it lose if the surrounding area is part of Euro-Atlantic integrations, and we as a country are outside these flows?

The story of the demilitarization of BiH can only pass if the demilitarization of the countries in the region is carried out. And they certainly do not intend to do that, because both Croatia and Serbia are intensively acquiring modern military weapons and equipment.