C. Wiebes - Intelligence en de oorlog in Bosnië 1992-1995. De rol van de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten - Engels

162Tactical Air Force in Tuzla were unaware of any flight, and they were ‘as mystified as the rest of us.There is apparently a high level of consternation at the Fifth Allied Tactical Air Force because of thisincident’, according to Le Hardy. According to him, it was still possible that an aircraft had landed onthe Tuzla Highway Strip, without being noticed by nearby OPs, but it was deemed impossible for aHercules to leave without the OPs noticing. The noise produced by the jet fighters could well havedrowned out that of the C-130. 801This assessment was adopted by the French Force Commander, General De Lapresle. Hereported to Annan that on both 10 and 12 February, a Hercules, escorted by two fighter aircraft, hadmade a landing. De Lapresle had NATO aircraft sent to Tuzla, which were able to find nothing aboveTuzla, however, but then they did arrive three hours later. According to De Lapresle, their departurewas repeatedly postponed, but in principle the aircraft could have been flying above Tuzla within 10 to30 minutes. De Lapresle’s conclusion was very plain: according to him it involved ‘two clandestineresupplies’ probably with ‘high value/high technology such as new generation anti-tank guided missilesor perhaps surface-to-air-missiles’. Because, however, two deliveries would have been insufficient, froma military point of view, substantially to strengthen the ABiH, the French general expected moresupplies by secret flights to be on the cards. 802On 16 February, another C-130 was observed, and in the following days two more. A Britishdaily newspaper even made a connection with a visit by Holbrooke to Turkey in mid February. 803 Thiswas not the end of the matter, because a further four flights were observed, where one aircraft was seenby a British UNMO using night vision binoculars. 804 On 17 and 19 February, UN personnel madesixteen reports of helicopters that landed on Tuzla Air Base. Yet another cargo aircraft was said to havelanded, or to have ejected its load at low altitude. Norwegian UNPROFOR patrols were consistentlyhindered by the ABiH. They did observe a few days later that the ABiH were wearing new Americanmanufactureduniforms. 805 UNPROFOR soldiers established that a convoy of approximately 75 trucksleft the airfield in the evening.Furthermore UNPROFOR observers saw how on 17 February, late in the evening, the head ofthe Bosnian Air Force suddenly showed up at Tuzla Air Base. No explanation was forthcoming from806the Bosnian side. NATO deployed aircraft on that day, but they lost radar contact. It was stillremarkable that the Black Flights were able to enter Bosnian air space and not be detected by theNATO AWACS over the Adriatic Sea. Le Hardy paid no attention to this: according to his report, noAWACS aircraft of NATO member states other than the United States were flying on that night.According to him there were two possible explanations: ‘Either the mission was carried out by powerscapable of neutralizing the radar surveillance or it was made with the consent and support of theauthorities commanding the assets in the area at the time.’ 807 The clandestine flights almost always seemto have taken place on nights either when no AWACS were in the air, or AWACS aircraft with UScrews. On the night in question, there were only US aircraft (Grumman E-2c Hawkeye Radar and F/A-18C Hornets), which have a much smaller radar range. This allowed the Black Flights to fly to Tuzlaunhindered. ‘It is like Nelson putting the telescope to his blind eye and saying: "I see no ships"‘,according to a British researcher. 808On Friday 13 February, the daily overview report of UNPROFOR headquarters in Sarajevostated that there was ‘continued evidence of [A]BiH arms re-supply activity’. Since early January 1995,801 Confidential collection (12), Report Le Hardy to MA Commander, BHC, ‘Incident at TAB’, 13/02/95.802 Confidential collection (12), De Lapresle to Akashi, Zagreb, UNPROFOR Z-0257, Unidentified fixed wing aircraft flightin Tuzla (4p), 14/02/95 and Confidential interview (67).803 Richard Dowden & John Carlin, ‘US secretly supplying weapons to Bosnia’, The Independent, 26/02/95.804 UNGE, UNPROFOR, Box 139, G-2 HQ UNPROFOR, Daily Info Summary, 11/02/95.805 Interview with N.E. Petersen, 29/10/99.806 Confidential collection (12), J2 Report Tuzla Air Activity, 17/02/95.807 Confidential collection (12), Report Le Hardy to MA Commander, BHC, ‘Incident at TAB’, 13/02/95 and UNGE,UNPROFOR, Box 124. De Lapresle to Annan, Z-268, 15/02/95.808 Confidential interview (67).