1993年、国連の北欧部隊がボスニアに派遣された際、命令に背き、交戦規定を無視し、本部との通信途絶を偽装するなど、最も好戦的な平和維持部隊として知られるようになった。これは、彼らが「いかなる犠牲を払っても民間人を保護する」という任務目標を達成することを可能にした。
北欧部隊、ボスニアで命令無視＆交戦規定違反！民間人保護のためなら手段を選ばず！
挿話
挿話
挿話1993年、国連の北欧部隊がボスニアに派遣された際、命令に背き、交戦規定を無視し、本部との通信途絶を偽装するなど、最も好戦的な平和維持部隊として知られるようになった。これは、彼らが「いかなる犠牲を払っても民間人を保護する」という任務目標を達成することを可能にした。
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>In one particularly infamous incident, the Bosnian Serb Army set up an ambush for the battalion’s Danish tank company. By launching a feint attack against a remote outpost, the Bosnian Serb Army lured a detachment from the tank company to drive straight into a trap. Anti-tank missiles and heavy guns opened up from concealed positions. Once the Danes started to take fire, their response was furious. The detachment commander simply told his crews to neutralize the anti-tank positions. The Leopard tanks directed accurate and deadly fire against the Bosnian Serb Army positions, using up no less than 72 main gun rounds
Yeah. That’s not the wisest move to lure a tank company towards you, attempt to ambush it under the idea that they’re not allowed to fire back, and fail to neutralise the tank company. 72 main gun rounds is a LOT.
This is pretty badass:
As soon as the Canadians left, a Croatian battalion-sized unit showed up and promptly mined the only road leading to the compound, ensuring that the Swedes would be unable to receive reinforcements.
Then they issued an ultimatum: hand over the three Muslim nurses, and we will leave you alone. The Swedish platoon leader, Captain Stewe Simson, radioed battalion command, and was told that it was his call to make, since he was the one in charge at the location. Captain Simson refused to hand over the nurses and instead ordered his men to prepare for combat.
Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, Captain Simson realized that it was unrealistic to expect that his unit would survive a full-out assault. Nevertheless, he was determined not to give in. The Croats started to fire mortar rounds, but the Swedes held their positions. After a few hours, the Croats issued a new ultimatum: the nurses could stay if the Croats were granted free passage to the compound. Again, Captain Simson refused. The situation remained tense throughout the night, with the Swedes maintaining full combat readiness. In the morning, the Croats negotiated with the Swedes and eventually left, quietly dropping their ultimatums. Nordbat 2 had shown resolve even in the face of hopeless odds, achieving a strategically important victory as a result of a decision made by a platoon commander.
Allegedly SHOOTBAT (as they were nicknamed) one time pulled up to help evacuate a Bosnian village before the Serbs showed up. The road was closed by other blue helmets who refused to move for SHOOTBAT. The commander of the company directed the attention of the blockades CO to his lead armored vehicles .50 cal and said “if you don’t move this, we will blow you to pieces”
https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2017/9/20/trigger-happy-autonomous-and-disobedient-nordbat-2-and-mission-command-in-bosnia
They were trained as a modern fighting force, not to blindly follow orders, but instead to use initiative to achieve objectives.
When the Serbs shot at them, they ignored stupid orders not to shoot, and instead returned fire. Serbs ran away, civilians were saved.
The Serbs weren’t an army, they were heavily armed bullies. The way to deal with bullies is to fuck their shit up.
They wouldn’t have had 72 main gun round (plus probably hundreds of machine gun rounds) kinetically delivered if they’d not disobeyed rule one- don’t start none, won’t be none.
Just a shame the UN didn’t learn from their example. A lot of people died because the UN wouldn’t kill the ones who needed killing.
My dad served in the UN Peacekeepers there as part of the 100 man New Zealand Army attachment, he quit the Army shortly afterwards.
He never talked about what he saw apart from once at his Dad’s funeral in 2008 after more than a few beers. Apparently the Serbs knew the rules of engagement enough that they would fire at civilians barely meters away from UN forces and the UN couldn’t do shit all. The UN soldiers basically acted as human shields, running towards groups of civilians then leading them back to the UN convoy, instructing them stick as close to the transports as possible because the Serbs would stop firing just in case they hit a UN trooper who might shoot back.
And some Serbians online act like Kosovo being bombed was unprovoked. lmao
Considering the war crimes the serbs/bosnians were committing at the time and that the UN peacekeeping forces there were largely bending over and taking it allowing them to do what they wanted (see the Srebrenica massacre for more info on that), having some actual peacekeepers willing to break the rules in order to keep the fucking peace and protect civilians shows how much the UN is a joke and where their priorities laid during this conflict.
Are there any good movies about this conflict? Or even good documentaries? I love hearing about these stories. Just like James blunt helping to prevent ww3.
I think the “at all costs” piece should forgive them for any rules they might have broken. Breaking the rules was just a cost to protect civilians.
Heh, I’d be tempted to break a few rules, too, if I had to defend civilians against a mob of armed thugs.
Because when Blue Helmets arrive the situation just got worse because now there are “peacekeepers” involved who don’t actually enforce peace
You don’t send vikings into a war zone and expect them to not fight.
How does one translate “Bøllebank” into English? Yes, “Hooligan-bashing” is literal, but it has overtones of yes, this was a damn good thrashing. And yes, the recipients were deserving. And yes, it may have gone a bit beyond just sending the message, but who is going to complain?
Meanwhile the Dutch stood by as the Serbs committed genocide.
I’m glad some unit actually does something. Whenever the UN deploys “peacekeepers” they do nothing while people get butchered. They did it in Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia, and Sudan
https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2017/9/20/trigger-happy-autonomous-and-disobedient-nordbat-2-and-mission-command-in-bosnia
A fascinating read on the tactics and philosophy of the battalion and its commander. Badasses.
They should be the standard for all UN missions tasked with protecting civilians.
Oh my God, these guys are my new heroes.
My people!
The UN probably requested they never be used for peacekeeping again. Can’t have actually effective peacekeepers.
All thanks to Johan Hedberg.
Quite the contrast to most of the UN’s record in the Yugoslav wars, which was almost an unbroken streak of dishonorable political timidity and ineffectiveness.
They tapped into their inner vikings.
UN forces are toothless and useless.
>to protect civilians **at all cost**.
This is like a rogue AI plot. Figure that disobeying following orders and breaking other rules is the most optimal solultion to completing the mission objective.
There is an article on this, it’s worth reading. It’s relevant for a lot of things including modern corporate programs that have very difficult cross organisation objectives. A lot of corp programs flounder because they inevitably will piss people off, but if you give them CEO level permission and tell them to get on with it, with inspired leadership, you can do amazing things. There will be casualties though.
I feel like these guys could sort out the IDF.
Wikipedia entry for story
The line drawn in the sand was asking for the latest and best weapons and then telling all the men to write their will.
And then there was another batallion that’s mostly known for covering human trafficking and prostitution and not even being smart enough to use protection.
Great read. Bravo, Nordbat2
“Strong criticism since 2016 has mainly been raised by a group of soldiers who took part in Operation Bøllebank, and has targeted the leadership of Carsten Rasmussen, leader of the tank squadron at the time of the operation, and Møller himself, declaring official accounts of the operation to be false.” From Wiki.
UN peacekeeping forces are well known for being completely fucking useless. The battalion commander probably realize this pretty quickly and did what he could to help people.
Only time the UN was actually useful
“It’s only a War Crime if you lose.”
I want a Sabaton song about them