"Mujahideen were part of Bosnian Army"

Bosnian Army general Kadir Jusic told a Hague judge that the El Mujahid Detachment was part of the Bosnian Army 3rd Corps. Jusic, former chief of staff of the Bosnian Army 3rd Corps, is testifying at the trial of former Bosnian Army chief Rasim Delic. "Mujahideen were part of Bosnian Army" "From mid 1993 until the end of the war, the El Mujahid Detachment was part of the 3rd Corps, ‘formally, in organizational terms and according to the establishment," he said. During the operation to liberate Vozuca in the summer and fall of 1995, the detachment was once again subordinated to the 35th Division in the 3rd Corps, he went on to say. General Jusic, the court was told, is one of the best educated people the Bosnian Army had during the war. He was the chief of staff in the 3rd Corps from March 1995. In his examination-in-chief, he said that the El Mujahid Detachment had been commanded by a foreign fighter called Abu Mali. The Mujahideen base was next to the Zavidovici-Luka road. He passed it by several times in 1995. Through his testimony, the prosecution tried to prove that the Mujahideen had played a key role in the operation the Bosnian Army launched in September 1995 to liberate Vozuca. The operation was codenamed Farz. The witness confirmed that in July 1995 members of the El Mujahid Detachment had participated in the attack on Paljenik, a key hill on the Vozuca axis, noting that at that time the detachment had been subordinated to the 35th Division in all elements of combat readiness, "from command and control down to logistic support." This action was planned by the 35th Division command independently from the 3rd Corps command, he confirmed in cross-examination. When Danish judge Harhoff asked who had commanded the El Mujahid Detachment, the witness replied that the commander of the 35th Division had been in charge. He could only assume that this commander had actually been able to exercise command, he added, because the Mujahideen were impossible to command.

"Mujahideen were part of Bosnian Army"

"From mid 1993 until the end of the war, the El Mujahid Detachment was part of the 3rd Corps, ‘formally, in organizational terms and according to the establishment," he said.

During the operation to liberate Vozuća in the summer and fall of 1995, the detachment was once again subordinated to the 35th Division in the 3rd Corps, he went on to say.

General Jusić, the court was told, is one of the best educated people the Bosnian Army had during the war.

He was the chief of staff in the 3rd Corps from March 1995. In his examination-in-chief, he said that the El Mujahid Detachment had been commanded by a foreign fighter called Abu Mali.

The Mujahideen base was next to the Zavidovići-Luka road. He passed it by several times in 1995.

Through his testimony, the prosecution tried to prove that the Mujahideen had played a key role in the operation the Bosnian Army launched in September 1995 to liberate Vozuća. The operation was codenamed Farz.

The witness confirmed that in July 1995 members of the El Mujahid Detachment had participated in the attack on Paljenik, a key hill on the Vozuća axis, noting that at that time the detachment had been subordinated to the 35th Division in all elements of combat readiness, "from command and control down to logistic support."

This action was planned by the 35th Division command independently from the 3rd Corps command, he confirmed in cross-examination.

When Danish judge Harhoff asked who had commanded the El Mujahid Detachment, the witness replied that the commander of the 35th Division had been in charge.

He could only assume that this commander had actually been able to exercise command, he added, because the Mujahideen were impossible to command.