Bosnia commanders point out peacekeeping lessons.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe

As the mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina shifts from NATO hands and into the European Unions, U.S. military and political leaders are looking at the lessons learned and the future course of the intervention.

Officials are examining the peacekeeping effort for clues that can be applied in Afghanistan and Iraq, including methods on neutralizing militants, balancing ethnic tensions and establishing security in an occupied zone.

"While the situation in Bosnia is different, there are some common threads running through each of these which are applicable," said Maj. Gen. James Darden, deputy director for plans and policy at the U.S. European Command, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.

Maintaining order in a post-conflict environment requires a careful balancing of domestic influence between competing power blocs, Darden said. To do this, he added, it is vital to avoid forming parallel institutions along ethnic lines, while at the same time building a powerful executive branch.

In Iraq, the Sunni, Kurdish and Shiite communities are being directed to share centralized power in a similar fashion as the ethnic groups of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Afghanistan, autonomous tribes and warlords are being asked to respond to the directions of the central government in Kabul. Neither place has a history of respect for a central government based on the rule of law.

Keeping the same people engaged in the process over long periods is essential in nation-building operations, Darden said. This can be achieved by utilizing professionals such as bankers, prosecutors and military experts on long-term contracts, he added.

"Specifically in defense reform, military contractors working with the minister of defense and his staff provide the long-term continuity needed," Darden said. "This is where the U.S. has and will provide the greatest benefit, and could have the same influence in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Maintaining situational awareness while downsizing is a challenge that can be met with specialized units, according to Maj. Gen. Virgil Packett, commander of the stabilization force.

"The introduction of liaison observation reams--troops living in houses in the community, eating at local restaurants, building relationships with the local population is a shift in the doctrine of peacekeeping tactics," he said. "It is one way to maintain that awareness with fewer boots on the ground."

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