Courtesy of a US led re-arming, the Bosnia federation has more than 100 tanks and is allowed another 150 under the Dayton Accord. Wary of direct military entanglement, the US has privatised the defence of Bosnia through Military Professional Resources Inc. The American policy, via MPRI, is to build in Bosnia a strong, NATO-standard army: so strong that the Serbs dare not attack. Exercises, or war games, take place along the border - "We never play in Republika Srpska." Meanwhile NATO is confiscating weapons from the Serbs, who are unwilling to hand them over whilst the Bosnian Muslims are being rearmed. For almost fifty years, the equally-matched armies were pivotal in keeping the peace between NATO and Communist bloc forces in Northern Europe. But will a similar strategy work in the Balkans?

Produced by ABC Australia