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

73below that Western intelligence services were already active in Bosnia in 1991, when the collapse ofYugoslavia started with the separation of Slovenia.Western intelligence services in Yugoslavia from 1991The ECMM mission operated in Slovenia from July 1991 and in Croatia from September. The missionoriginally comprised thirty to fifty observers with diplomatic status, whose safety was guaranteed by theparties involved. Thanks to the white suits that were intended to emphasize their civilian status, theywere soon nicknamed the ‘ice cream vendors’. The number of ECMM observers was to grow withintwo years to approximately four hundred. The ECMM later also operated in Bosnia and had a regionalcentre in Belgrade. From August 1991 the monitors also included observers from the CSCE memberstates: Canada, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Sweden. The mission received its instructions from thepresidency of the European Community, to which it reported, as well as to the UN and theInternational Red Cross.Immediately upon arrival in Zagreb, it was already clear that many observers had their ownnational agenda. A lack of consensus immediately came to light between the countries that contributedthe observers. It had been agreed with the EC that the observers would not report independently totheir own national capitals, but exclusively through the head of the mission to the presidency of theEC. 337 There was no question of this. Immediately on arrival in Zagreb some observers installed theirown satellite dishes on the balconies of their hotel rooms, while others kept themselves completely outof sight and worked, apparently under cover of the ECMM, on their own national agenda. 338Although the mission’s attempts at mediation met with little success and the mission was hardlyable to play a significant role in supervising ceasefire agreements, they would acquire a certain value asthe eyes and ears of the European Community in the field. From the autumn of 1991, the ECMMteams also started investigating human rights violations. In addition, the mission started to play a role inthe exchange of prisoners of war, the execution of confidence-building measures decided on by the EC,and monitoring aid convoys. 339 It goes without saying that the mission was attractive to the intelligenceservices. The diplomatic status of the observers meant that they were exposed to little danger, andanother major appeal was that the ECMM observers were able to travel through many areas and so,under cover of diplomacy, could gather intelligence at reasonably low risk.Confirmation that the ECMM observers were a cherished cover of Western intelligence serviceswas provided in various confidential interviews. Staff of the Dutch MIS were also active in the ECMMas observers. According to one MIS official, the organization was full of staff from Europeanintelligence services. The French ECMM observers all had special aerials on their hotel room balconiesor their rented accommodation in Zagreb. Their task was to monitor the communication traffic in andaround Zagreb for their own military intelligence service. When this was no longer permitted by the340heads of the ECMM, the French observers rapidly complied.Danish intelligence officers were also stationed as observers within ECMM by their militaryintelligence service. 341 The German current affairs programme Monitor revealed in September 1996 thatBundesnachrichtendienst staff were also active in the ECMM. An official of this service worked in theECMM under the pseudonym ‘Ebenberg’. He was allegedly involved in at least two cases of illegal armssupplies. Bonn admitted that an official was active within the ECMM, but he was said to be not337 NMFA, DAV (Directorate for Atlantic Cooperation and Security Affairs). ISN 4824115, COREU of the EC presidency, no.Cpe/pres/hag 381, 16/07/91.338 Interview with M. Hennis, 09/03/99.339 NMFA, DEU/ARA/05267, COREUof the EC presidency, CPE/Pres/Bru/928, 22/09/93.340 Confidential interview (81).341 Confidential interview (82).