SFOR/J3-COMCAM's STAFF Sergeant Cesar Rodriguez, deployed from the 1ST Combat Camera Squadron from Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, acquires aerial imagery for Multi National Division South East (MND SE)/G3 of the Spanish Square area for terrain and operational awareness purposes. This building, with a Croat flag in the background, is located in the middle of Hrvatskl Branl Telsa Street. The Spanish Square area also contains a cemetery located on Ul S. Kavacevica Street in Mostar, which became a flash point for ethnic violence between Croats and Bosnians on 10 Feb 1997. The Bosnians started a religious e to visit their relative's gravesites. The Croats interpreted this...

The original finding aid described this photograph as:

[Complete] Scene Caption: SFOR/J3-COMCAM's STAFF Sergeant Cesar Rodriguez, deployed from the 1ST Combat Camera Squadron from Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, acquires aerial imagery for Multi National Division South East (MND SE)/G3 of the Spanish Square area for terrain and operational awareness purposes. This building, with a Croat flag in the background, is located in the middle of Hrvatskl Branl Telsa Street. The Spanish Square area also contains a cemetery located on Ul S. Kavacevica Street in Mostar, which became a flash point for ethnic violence between Croats and Bosnians on 10 Feb 1997. The Bosnians started a religious parade to visit their relative's gravesites. The Croats interpreted this parade as an act of Bosnian nationalism because the cemetery holds graves for both Muslims and Christian. The Croats want to preserve their ethnic separateness. The United Nations International Police Task Force (IPTF) later attributed the violence between the two parties to Croatian nationals on 26 Feb 1997. The IPTF recommended several Croat and Bosnian police officials be removed from office. Additionally, several Croatian "Mafia" leaders were detained for their contributions to this incident and other activities. The Spanish Square area is thought to be an enclave used by Croatians to launch activities to preserve ethnic segregation. This area is a triangular block about 200 yards on each side; the Rondo circle is an apex of the triangle with Ul S. Kavacevica street leading to the right and contains the cemetery, Lenjinovo Sepaliste St trails to the left with the Spanish Square building at its apex and Hrvatskl Branl Telsa St connects those two streets.

Subject Operation/Series: JOINT GUARD

Base: Mostar

Country: Bosnia And/I Herzegovina (BIH)

Scene Camera Operator: LT COL Michael A. Perry, USAF

Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files