The Big Breach - Index of

The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.cominternationally recognised sign - `Fuck him, nobody like him.' Ireached over with a pack of Marlboros - we always carried them for suchoccasions though none of us smoked. He took one and lit it up and Ithrust the rest of the packet at him as soon as he had put away hislighter. `Follow me,' he urged. `Mines, that's why trees.' He set offthe way we had come, occasionally indicating us to keep well away fromone verge or the other. Only then did we realise that we had had morethan one lucky escape. After our guide had tapped the window to signifythe all-clear, we continued down the road in silence, reflecting on ourgood fortune.Thereafter, we ensured that we made no further navigational mistakes byavoiding driving on unfamiliar roads after dusk. Others who madesimilar mistakes in Bosnia were not as lucky. A few weeks later, aBritish captain took the same wrong turn as us but ran over one of theanti-tank mines and was killed instantly. In March, a group of ODAworkers were ambushed by a Mujahideen group just outside the town ofZenica in central Bosnia. They were driven to woodlands a few milesaway, forced from their vehicles and made to kneel at the side of theroad. Their captors shot one victim dead with a bullet to the back ofthe head. The others ran for their lives, diving into a freezing riverto avoid a hail of lead, and were lucky to escape with only minorwounds.We were able to establish contact with STEENBOX in Tuzla later on thatfirst trip and thereafter we made the three-day trip to see her everytwo weeks. The logistics of each trip were in the capable hands of Jon,who loaded up our two vehicles with the comms equipment, supplies, asmall armory of an SA-80 rifle and Browning 9mm pistol for each of us,flak-jackets, helmets and spare parts for the vehicles. We took campinggear in case we had to rough it, but slept whenever we could in themess halls of the various UNPROFOR bases that dotted Bosnia, or in thefew hotels that remained open, catering to aid workers and journalists.Jon plus two others accompanied me on every trip, the fourth membertaking it in turn to stay at Divulje barracks to operate the fixedKALEX. They always looked forward enthusiastically to the trips upcountry, the highlight being the traverse of the front line between theBosnian-Croat forces and the Bosnian-Muslim militia at Gornji Vakuf.Both sides liked to snipe at UNPROFOR vehicles passing through thebombed out town, then to milk the propoganda points by blaming theother. Soft-skinned vehicles such as ours were obliged to travelthrough the town in convoy under the protection of two Warrior APCs,which returned fire enthusiastically and spectacularly at any suspectedsniper position. In the dozen or so traverses of Gornji Vakuf that wemade, we were lucky that neither of our vehicles were hit, though weregularly came under fire.STEENBOX proved a problematic agent to debrief. The information shegave about the intentions of the local militia was not CX but merelythe official propaganda of the Bosnian VIth army in Tuzla. At onemeeting, just after dusk in a small caf‚ in Tuzla, a group of seniorBosnian militiamen walked in and ordered coffee at the bar. As they hadnot yet noticed us at a small table in the corner, I whispered toSTEENBOX `I'd better get out of here - it'll be dangerous if they seeus together. I'll meet you in 20 minutes in the caf‚ opposite the townhall.'page- 118 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com