Originally Posted by
Dzihadovic
I like this one,
The ability of the Bosnian muslims in the Drina valley to organize military units under extremely difficult conditions, defend their homes, and then undertake offensive operations against the Bosnian Serb Army stands as one of the greatest military feats of the Bosnian war.
Muslim military prowess can be attributed to four factors: organization, motivation, natural fighting ability, and leadership. The Bosnian TO/Army forces in the Drina valley, caught unawares when the war started, quickly organized themselves into classic military formations ranging from platoon to brigade.
Second, the muslims in the Drina valley were highly motivated instant soldiers, The men, particularly the refugees, had seen family members and friends brutally killed, tortured and raped. Many had lost their homes and all their possessions. Their villages had been overrun and burned to the ground. Those who had escaped with their families now had to watch them slowly starve as the roads to central Bosnia and the central government were cut and pinched off. These experiences inspired the men of the Bosnia TO/Army forces in the valley with a powerful motivation to kill Serb soldiers and take their weapons, food, and anything else that would help them survive.
The Bosnian TO/Army made good use of natural fighting ability that seemed to characterize the men of the Drina valley. The proved to be adept mountain rangers and fighters; operating in semi-partisan fashion, in small units, they exploited the familiar mountainous terrain to infiltrate the porous lines fronting VRS positions and to attack Serb villages. Their quick and stealthy movements terrorized VRS frontline soldiers, as well as the Serb peasant population, so that a minor Muslim raid might gather steam and roll up new territory as Serb troops and their families panicked and abandoned their positions and homes.
Finally, muslim military leaders were chosen not for their political correctness or affiliation to a party, only for their ability to fight and inspire. Muslim soldiers grouped naturally around what were essentially chieftains or warlods rather than professional soldiers. These commanders were men who had risen naturally and by example to the top of the "warrior" groups in the early days of the fighting. They had a common thirst for battle and an appreciation of their situation expressed in the local equivalent of "the best defense is a good offense". Far from hunkering down and waiting for the VRS to hit them, these commanders took advantage of their men's anger and their natural combat skills to take the war to the Serbs.
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