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

254a concerted defence shortly before the attack. 1339 These assertions were denied by Dutchbat. 1340 Thebelief by the ABiH soldiers that such an agreement had been reached was more a question of wishfulthinking. They referred to it in early July in their communications with 2 nd Corps of the ABiH in Tuzla.It is only logical that the VRS would have intercepted these transmissions and would have been awareof the discussions between Dutchbat and the ABiH.On 9 July Osman Suljic, the War President of Srebrenica, called President Izetbegovic. Duringthis call Suljic asked the Bosnian President to save the population of Srebrenica but Izetbegovic did notrespond. It is likely that this too was intercepted by the VRS.1341 The belief that this call indeed wasintercepted, is supported by the fact that, on 10 July 1995, the headquarters of the 2 nd Corps in Tuzlasent another message to, among others, the 28 th Division saying that the VRS had again decipheredsome coded ABiH documents. This had happened because of weak cryptographic protection: the codehad been cracked with the aid of a calculator. A special measure was then introduced whereby the 28 thDivision in Srebrenica was ordered to keep messages which were transmitted through HF, VHF andUHF to a bare minimum and to use the K-2 crypto programme. General documents had to be codedby means of frequently changing frequencies and keys. Telephonic contacts with the 2 nd Corps of theABiH in Tuzla could only take place after changes had been made to the secret names and numbers. 1342However, Lelic’s apparently weak crypto programme was used right up to the fall of Srebrenica.Interception of the column heading from Srebrenica to TuzlaThe flight of the column of Bosnian Muslims from Srebrenica to Tuzla is addressed in detail in Chapter1 of Part IV of the Srebrenica report. 1343 This section explores how far the VRS was able to interceptcalls made during this event. The ABiH took along a laptop computer with crypto software, which waslater destroyed by the operator. The VRS found the demolished laptop and took the operator prisoner.He was taken to Zvornik where he was tortured in the hope that he would disclose his secrets. TheABiH knew through Comint that he had been arrested and taken to Zvornik. The operator did notbreak under torture and the VRS eventually released him. 1344It was fairly easy for the VRS to track the ABiH column as it made its way to Tuzla.Throughout the journey the ABiH used various Motorola walkie-talkies, including the YEASU. Thesehad probably been supplied to the 28 th Division in the spring of 1995; spare batteries were chargedbefore the column set out. The different parts of the column communicated through couriers andMotorolas; the vanguard maintained contact with the command of the 28 th Division, the middle sectionand the rearguard (on another frequency). The commander of the 28 th Division was in the middle andhad an overview of the whole column. Some 20 Motorolas were used in the course of the manoeuvre.The VRS were constantly tuned in to the YEASU Motorolas and knew the exact locations of thedifferent segments of the column. Hence, they could easily launch targeted shelling and claim manyvictims. 1345 Two intercepts by the intelligence service of the Drina Corps of the VRS, sent through thepolice station at the town Bijeljina, indicated that two groups in the column attempted to getinstructions on how to act when they ran into an ambush near Kamenica. Later, the VRS experiencedincreasing difficulty when it tried to intercept the Motorolas of the ABiH, because the batteriesgradually ran out and use had to be kept to a minimum. When the ABiH reached the village Baljkovicathe batteries were flat. 13461339 ABiH Tuzla. 2 nd Corps, no number. Additional statement by Ramiz Becirovic, 16/04/98, based on an earlier statement of11/08/95.1340 See Chapter 6 of Part III of the main Srebrenica report for a detailed discussion.1341 Interview with Osman Suljic, 04/03/98.1342 NIOD, Coll. CD-Roms. 2 nd Corps to 28 th Division, no. 02/08-684/2, 10/07/95.1343 See for the English version: www.srebrenica.nl1344 Confidential information (37).1345 Confidential information (37).1346 For the journey to Tuzla: Chapter 1 in Part IV of the main Srebrenica report.