TUZLA airport is the key to opening up the north of Bosnia to medical and food aid. It is the quickest way of stopping mass starvation this winter in a very densely populated area.
Sone UN aid supplies have reached the city, but it is a drop in the ocean. Tuzla's original population of 200,000 (over 500,000 in the Tuzla region) has swollen to nearly a million with a massive influx of refugees escaping ethnic cleansing. Today this population is even more desperate for basic supplies than it was last winter.
Since the Greater Serbian force achieved their primary war aim in Bosnia-Herzergonia, the creation of the northern corridor linking Knin Krajina and Bosansha Krajina with Serbia itself, Tuzla has been cut off from the key northern route to Croatia and Zagreb.
This Serbian-held corridor, crucial to its whole military strategy, is now a heavily militarised zone.
Cut off
At the same time the main alternative supply route, in the south-west from the coastal port of Split, has to all intents and purposes been cut by the Croatian HVO and paramilitary forces.
Only occasional convoys can now negotiate this difficult and mountainous route. Despite some recent military successes, the territory held by Bosnian forces is all but cut off from the outside world.
So, Tuzla airport is a key point of entry into a large population centre.
Why has the UN persistently refused to open it to commercial or aid airlifts? They claim that the use of the airport is too risky because it is too vulnerable to Serbian artillery and long-range aircraft.
However unlike Sarajevo's airport, which is even vulnerable to sniper fire. Tuzla's is not overlooked by such weapons. in any case UN aircraft use Tuzla airport regularty for military and diplomatic purposes. Why then is the UN prevaricating when the airport's closure threatens so many "UN aircraft use Tuzla airport regularly..." lives?
The answer lies in the military and political objectives of the imperialist powers, who control UN policy. Their cynicism knows no bounds.
No interest The main imperialist powers have no strategic interests in the area, unlike the Middle East, apart from the medium term aim of dragging the Balkans into the capitalist world market and restoring the rule of the capitalist law of value with the minimum of disruption.
But they are concerned with the delicate balance in the Eastern Mediterranian, particularly between Greece and Turkey and on the issue of Macedonia.
As a result we have not seen a large scale military intervention, but only one that can increase imperialism's political involvement in the region and help regulate and further their diplomatic aims.
They have not the slightest interest in the suffering of the Bosnian peoples, their democratic rights or national aspirations. The UN have, in practice, extended support to those they perceive as most rapidly bringing stability.
Increasingly the people imperialism does business with are Serbian leader Milosevic and Croatian President Tudiman. The Vance-Owen plan and its successors have only legitimised Serbian aggression and ethnic cleansing.
Arms embargo
The crucial arms embargo, far from stropping the creation of what Douglas Hurd has cynically called 'a level killing field, has only re-enforced the initial military superiority of Serbia and to a lesser extent Croatia.
The purpose has become increasing transparent. The arms embargo and the reluctancy to let aid go through are designed to force the surrender of Bosnia and create a small, poverty stricken and overpopulated Muslim 'bantustan'.
The continued closure and tight control of Tuzla airport is crucial for the UN's policing of the arms embargo on Bosnia. If the UN were to opened the airport under the control of the Bosnian government then the arms embargo would be more difficult to enforce.
Socialists do not remain neutral in the face of ethnic cleansing.
• Multi-ethnic Bosnia lives!
• No appeasement of aggressors and ethnic cleansers • Open Tuzla airport.
International Chosen business partner of imperialism: Miloseovic Tel: 081-694 9799 for details or if you can help.
Donations and lettors to 'IWA' - PO Box 30, London SE15 SEP London SW1
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 53, November 27 1993, Page 10