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| caption = UNPA Western Slavonia/Sector West (shaded green) on a map of Croatia. Other UNPAs/sectors are shaded red, blue and purple. | scope = | type = Preemptive deployment | location = Western Slavonia, Croatia | planned = | planned_by = United Nations Protection Force | objective = Defence of the UNPA Western Slavonia | target = | date = Early 1993 | time = | time-begin = | time-end = | timezone = | executed_by = Elements of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | outcome = No combat resulted from the deployment. | casualties = None | fatalities = | injuries = }} Operation Backstop was a United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) military plan designed to guard a portion of the United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs) against attack by the Croatian Army (''Hrvatska vojska'' – HV) during the Croatian War of Independence. The operation, developed by the UNPROFOR staff in charge of the UNPA Western Slavonia (Sector West) in 1992, was scheduled to be implemented by two mechanised companies of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) battalion deployed in the area. Although no HV attack occurred in the area during the UNPROFOR mandate, elements of the plan were used by the 3rd Battalion of the PPCLI as the HV clashed with the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina (ARSK) in the January 1993 Operation Maslenica. The 2nd Battalion of the PPCLI implemented the plan in March 1993 to demonstrate UNPROFOR resolve. The UNPROFOR Sector West deputy commander considered the plan impractical except for deterrence, due to security concerns. ==Background== In November 1991 Croatia, Serbia and the Yugoslav People's Army (''Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija'' – JNA) agreed upon the Vance plan, designed to halt combat operations in the Croatian War of Independence and allow the negotiation of a political settlement. In addition to the ceasefire, the plan protected civilians in specific areas—designated as United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs)—and UN peacekeepers in Croatia. The ceasefire went into effect on 3 January 1992. Shortly after the Vance plan was accepted the European Community announced its decision to grant diplomatic recognition to Croatia on 15 January 1992, and the Serb- and JNA-held areas of Croatia were organised as the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). Despite the Vance plan's requirement for the immediate withdrawal of JNA personnel and equipment from Croatia, the JNA stayed behind for seven to eight months. When its troops eventually pulled out, the JNA transferred their equipment to the RSK. Because of organisational problems and breaches of the ceasefire, the UNPROFOR did not begin to deploy until 8 March and took two months to fully assemble in the UNPAs. The UNPROFOR was tasked with demilitarising the UNPAs, maintaining the ceasefire, monitoring local police and creating conditions for the return of internally displaced persons and refugees. These comprised more than 300,000 Croats who were exiled from RSK-controlled territory and 20,000 Serbs who fled areas of western Slavonia captured by the Croatian Army (''Hrvatska vojska'' – HV) in Operations Swath-10, Papuk-91 and Hurricane-91 in late 1991. A portion of western Slavonia, encompassing an area approximately , was designated as the UNPA Western Slavonia (or Sector West) by the peace plan. Although unlike other UNPAs, the RSK controlled only about one-third of the area—in the south, centred on the town of Okučani—the RSK-held area included a section of the Zagreb–Belgrade motorway. Sector West was divided into four areas of responsibility (AORs). The western portion of the motorway section and its surroundings were assigned to a Jordanian battalion of the UNPROFOR (JORDBAT), and the area to the east (containing the rest of the motorway within the UNPA and the town of Okučani) was the AOR of a Nepalese battalion (NEPBAT). To the north of the JORDBAT and NEPBAT AORs, a Canadian battalion (CANBAT 1) AOR was established. The northernmost portion of Sector West became the AOR of an Argentine battalion (ARGBAT). Unlike the Canadians, who had at their disposal 83 armoured personnel carriers, the Jordanian and Nepalese troops were equipped with small arms only. Sector West was commanded by Argentine Brigadier General Carlos Maria Zabala, and most of the staff work was assigned to the Canadians. The UNPROFOR established two storage depots for Army of the RSK (ARSK) heavy weapons, near Pakrac and in Stara Gradiška, and the HV moved its heavy weapons away from Sector West. Although the storage facilities were guarded by the UNPROFOR, the RSK was allowed access to maintain the weapons. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Operation Backstop」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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