Retired Army General: The Rationale for Increasing Serbian Army Special Forces Numbers Is Unclear

Serbian Army Guns (Beta/Dragan Gojic)

The former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro, retired lieutenant colonel general Dragisa Paskas, said on Feb. 21 it was unclear how the idea had been born to add 5,000 members to the Serbian Army special forces by the end of the year, adding that it was probably the decision of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, made without consulting with relevant bodies.   

“The latest session of the National Security Council concluded that Serbia was not facing security challenges or threats. What has happened to trigger this decision remains unclear,” Paskas wrote in an editorial for Belgrade daily Danas commenting on the invitation to all interested candidates to join the Serbian Army Special Forces.  

Paskas noted that it could be the decision of “one person, made without consultations with the relevant state institutions,” adding that the time would tell whether it was justified and correct.