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James Mason | all galleries >> Galleries >> The Brits in Vitez > Colonel Bob Stewart in the Bosnian hills
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May 93 James Mason

Colonel Bob Stewart in the Bosnian hills

Above Vitez

Who has the world's best army? That question was asked by a British reporter of NATO's outgoing commander, a German. The Kraut replied "the best army is the one with American equipment, British soldiers, and German officers." I didn't get a chance to see German officers in the field, but if they are better than the British officers I saw in action I'd be surprised. Colonel Bob was really impressive, as were his successors.


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Roy Hunter 16-Nov-2010 14:17
There are plenty of Stupni Do pictures. The Swedes were first there, then I replaced them to secure the site after the massacre. Military Police and ECMM took plenty of pictures. I still have my own here. So, it is very well documented.
Roy Hunter
Guest 01-Feb-2008 23:42
I know as well that first "real"help came from Americans,and from American people who always had sense for justice,does not matter how much it cost. I meant only that the Germany recognized Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina like first country from European Union,they did not care for political pressures from France,UK and some other countries,who were "convinced that Milosevic with JNA is in right..It is also a fact that America is far away from Bosnia and Croatia and when the war started they were not sure what to do in the first days.At least US foreign office decided that is not possible to negotiate with Serbian politicians and then started with bombarding of some Serbian positions. Everyone who killed civilians should be processed. Rajic is responsible for "Stupni Do",probably order came from Boban and maybe Susak,who you called minister of ethnic cleancing,with right.They provoked muslims,they just wanted to dislodge Croatian enclave from Vares to Croatia or west Herzegovina.Well they succeed,ther are wery few Croats in Vares and Kakanj,and Rajic is in the Den Hag..
I meant on Bob Stewart, not Campbell's.You are in right for most of the things,I mean on your comments,but I'll take me the right to add something,if I'll be sure that you missed something.I add that "Badnjak"is Christmas Eve.
Greetings and compliments for your work!
James Mason01-Feb-2008 19:30
Do you mind if I answer this post in English? Let me know if you'd like to see it in Croatian and I'll translate it. I was in the British Press Office in Nova Bila when Bob Stewart suddently appeared in a very agitated state. Normally he did not come to the press center, although he lived next door. He told the handful of journalist present that there had been a terrible crime, and he wanted a TV crew to come and document something. I don't recall who went, but undoubtedly the BBC was there. CNN probably had a crew there as well. ABC and NBC might have been in Nova Bila as well. What Bob wanted them to see was Ahmici, which is about 6 km from the press center. So that's why there was documentation. In the case of atrocities committed against Croats by Muslim forces, they were not close by and the British Army often didn't find out about it until quite some time after. I have received a number of questions from former British soldiers asking why I have nothing here about Stupni Do. Well, that happened after I left the former Yugoslavia and returned to San Francisco. This is not a complete history of the war, but rather what I saw and experienced. As to Croatia getting help from German and Bosnia from the Muslim countries, I'd like to point out that the only significant help in the war to either country came from the USA. Who bombed Serbia? Not a single German plane took part. Bob Campbell's wife is very English. His girlfriend in Bosnia was French Swiss.
Guest 01-Feb-2008 18:23
Znam dosta o desavanjima u Lasvanskoj dolini,Zenici itd.Nema sumnje da je to sto se desilo u Ahmicima ratni zlocin,od strane HVO-a.Jedino nisam shvatio kako su bas odmah nakon toga bile spremne sve TV ekipe BBC-a,NBC-a i sve ostale.Zlocini mudahedina nad Hrvatima,uglavnom civilima,prije desavanja u Ahmicima,u Lasvi,Mileticima,Zenici,Susnju,Maljinama i ostalim mjestima mjestima zlocina,presuceni su,gotovo cak odobravani.Nitko nije imao interesa izvjestavati o tome.Usput, zena Bob Stewarta je bila ili je jos,muslimanka iz Viteza.I to nesto govori samo po sebi.
James Mason31-Jan-2008 11:02
Muslimani su vec dugo znali sve o Vitezu. Tu je pitanje bilo o stranim mujehadinama u okolici. - James Mason
Guest 31-Jan-2008 04:36
Sigurno crta polozaje obrane hvo-a,oko Viteza ovim muslimanskim oficirima.