Sun, 21 Jan 96 1130

The "showdown," like so many are, was anti-climactic. GEN Nash expressed his dismay and confusion regarding the Russians' command and control structure. The previous understanding was that the RUS BDE under COL Lentsov was to be under the operational control of the 1 AD commanded by GEN Nash. Now GEN Staskov comes in, sets up a HQ near the RUS BDE HQ [at Vukosavci [voo-ko-SAHF-tsee], about 10 km from Ugljevik], and announces that he is interposed between COL Lentsov and GEN Nash and that COL Lentsov is even forbidden to contact GEN Nash directly.

In the Russian hierarchy, COL Lentsov was supposed to answer to COL GEN Shevtsov , SACEUR GEN Joulwan's Deputy at SHAPE for the RUS BDE in Bosnia, in parallel, I suppose, to GEN Nash's relationship with GEN Joulwan.

GENs Joulwan and Shevtsov are to be here Thursday, 25 Jan 96, and supposedly matters will be clarified then.

COL Lentsov took me aside Thursday evening to express his embarrassment and chagrin at developments. One Russian officer told me yesterday that he did not think Russian Minister of Defense Pavel Grachev was involved in plotting this. I speculated that other forces might be, though, and he conceded the possibility. After the Nash-Staskov meeting last night, this same officer told me that GEN Staskov has a poor grasp of the situation on the ground here and has been compensating by a lot of bluster about how poorly Ashikhmin, Lentsov, et al, are working.

I found a moment this morning to pass that on to GEN Nash, who to my astonishment asked me what I thought he should do. I could only say that he has the good will of COLs Ashikhmin and Lentsov and I could only suggest he press on as he has been. I did take a minute or two to say that nothing he can do will ever allay the suspicions and dislike of the xenophobic Russian right, and that I suspect Staskov is perhaps a part of that segment of the Russian right that is less vitriolic than, say, Zhirinovsky, but still a part of it. Or perhaps he is merely free-lancing as part of a personal power play.

GEN Nash did not get to Sarajevo after all yesterday because of the weather. GEN Staskov left his HQ at Vukosavci on the Serbian side of the ZOS [Zone of Separation, the former Line of Confrontation] not far from Ugljevik at 1415, but did not reach TAB until almost 1730 because of road conditions (snow). So I was stuck overnight and was supposed to fly back by helicopter at 1000 today. So far that hasn't happened. To complicate matters, GEN Cherrie and GEN Staskov are meeting with the Muslim Commander in the area tomorrow and Major Wilhelm thinks it might be good if I were there. Then on Thursday we expect SACEUR Joulwan and the Russian general at SHAPE COL GEN Shevtsov. So my overnight stay at TAB may stretch to a week. I failed to bring deodorant and none is available here and no spare underwear, either, so I may get fragrant by the end of the week.



Sat, 27 Jan 96 1115

The Russian airlift through TAB is nearly over and their arrival via train to the railhead at Bijeljina, about 20 km east of here, is well under way.

Yesterday evening I had heard that there have been attempts by Russian soldiers to pilfer things from us.

About 0330 this morning I was woken up and asked to come out into the hall to interpret. Our SF guys had caught a Russian soldier trying to steal MREs from next to their tent about 50 feet from where I sit in our room writing this. This soldier was a real grubby and not very intelligent-looking fellowI don't expect I looked very prepossessing, either, standing there in my long johns and boots. Our SF fellows, who are a pretty stern group, literally had him collared standing there with his rifle slung around his neck with a hangdog sad sack look. When they asked him why he did it, he muttered the equivalent of "I dunno." They dragged out of him his name and the names of his platoon and company commanders. He pleaded with them not to tell the Brigade Commander because if they did, he'd probably get sent back to Russia and he had just arrived. Someone had gone after the Russian duty officer, who came in at this point and took charge of the soldier, who turned out to be a sergeant. This especially steamed our fellows, all sergeants, who probably don't understand that in the Russian army a sergeant may just be a draftee in his second year of service who hasn't screwed up too badly so far.

Major Bushyhead had slept through all of thisI don't know why he wasn't gotten up, too.

About 0530 a Russian officer came into our room and identified himself as the deputy commander of the soldier's company with responsibility for morale and morals (vospitanie). He apologized, said how ashamed they were, promised the soldier would be punished, and asked the Major not to take the matter to COL Lentsov, to which the Major agreed.



Lentsov got so mad at his driver yesterday for something stupid he did that he smacked him on the back of the head.

Bosnia is a God-awful dismal place in February. Even paved roads are gritty and muddy.

Our footbridge over the river didn't last long. A big log came floating down and hit a support.

On the way to supper with GEN Nash I went into his bathroom facilities to wash my hands. The place was heated, sparkling clean, and with hot water. Thirty seconds of bliss!