Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Step Toward Reality (Arab editorial on Srebrenica, Bosnia)
ArabNews ^ | Saturday, 16, October, 2004

Posted on 10/15/2004 4:51:32 PM PDT by Jane_N

Next July it will be ten years since the most odious crime was committed on European soil since the depravities of the German Nazis. The 1995 massacre at Srebrenica of captured Bosnian men and boys by Serb militias was an outrage which shocked the world.

Everyone wanted to know how the UN Dutch peacekeepers, who were supposed to be guarding the town as a safe haven for its citizens and the Muslims who had fled their homes in the region, could have been persuaded to abandon the helpless people they had been ordered to protect. The Dutch have grappled with this question themselves. There have been many reasons advanced for their terrible failure. Their soldiers were poorly armed and briefed. A few weeks before, Serb militiamen had taken other UN troops hostage. The Dutchmen were heavily outnumbered. Had they used force to defend the Bosnian town, they would have easily been overrun and many of the civilians might have been killed. The Serbs were promising to look after the Bosnians in the town.

They seemed so reasonable and convincing.

We still wait to hear from the mouth of the Serbian commander, Ratko Mladic, whether if the Dutch commander had stood firm, he really would have pressed home an attack against the UN soldiers.

Mladic and his political boss Radovan Karadzic are both still on the run having been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for genocide and war crimes. They might have feared immediate reprisals for killing UN troops. In the end it was news of the Srebrenica massacre that finally strengthened the will of the international community and brought on the NATO air attacks which quickly blasted the Serbs to the peace negotiations in Dayton. That the two key Serbian instigators of Bosnia’s agony remain at large, hidden within the Serbian community remains the very greatest scandal. It has seemed that as long as they could conceal the two leading criminals, the Serbs felt themselves able to pretend that these wicked acts were not real, that somehow they had never really happened.

Well this June, Bosnian Serbs took an important step toward reality when their regional government finally admitted that the massacre had been committed by Serbs. This week they have gone a step further by publishing a report in which Serbian investigators have found that more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslims fell victim to Mladic’s butchers. The final pretences about this deed of the utmost savagery have been abandoned. Serbs need no longer live the lie. Now they can grapple with the guilt of this odious crime.

There is however one more step that they must take to mitigate the horrors that were perpetrated in their name. That is to deliver up Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic for trial at The Hague.

As long as these two men avoid answering for the terrible crimes with which they are charged, all Serbs, not just those in Bosnia, will remain in the dark shadow of guilt. No civilized society can protect men who have done what they are alleged to have done.

They must be given up.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arabnews; balkans; bosnia; srebrenica; un; warcrimes
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last
To: Hoplite
Asking again: was this photo a hoax? Yes or no?

Yes or no?

21 posted on 10/16/2004 3:10:31 PM PDT by A. Pole (MadeleineAlbright:"I fell in love with Americans in uniform.And I continue to have that love affair")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jane_N
Well this June, Bosnian Serbs took an important step toward reality when their regional government finally admitted that the massacre had been committed by Serbs. This week they have gone a step further by publishing a report in which Serbian investigators have found that more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslims fell victim to Mladic’s butchers.

Hey, if they are pressed harder they will "admit" that they are responsible for the global warming and the cow's milk going sour. Same way as witches in Middle Ages admitted to their wrongdoings.

22 posted on 10/16/2004 3:13:11 PM PDT by A. Pole (MadeleineAlbright:"I fell in love with Americans in uniform.And I continue to have that love affair")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Destro
Serbs were under zero obligation to honor the UN's "safe haven".

Maybe it was a mistake to let these Mujahedeen escape - Serbs are being blaimed anyway for their supposed "death" and these victimized Islamic figthers are free to wreck havoc from Afghanistan to Chechnya.

23 posted on 10/16/2004 3:16:39 PM PDT by A. Pole (MadeleineAlbright:"I fell in love with Americans in uniform.And I continue to have that love affair")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Destro; Hoplite; A. Pole; Balkans
Here is the link again for the authentic, well-documented, uncensored RS report on Srebrenica from 2002. Archduke Ashdown, on behalf of his islamist-linked SDA friends, was panicked by its findings, did his best to bury it and handpicked some of his loyal subjects to write a new one (rumors on the content of which just appeared) for obvious propaganda purposes. But the authentic report from 2002 is thankfully now available on the internet. It is a rich, very informative document that should be read and spread around.
24 posted on 10/16/2004 4:07:44 PM PDT by pythagorean
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: pythagorean

U.S. EMBASSY STATEMENT ON RS REPORT ON SREBRENICA

DATE:
09/05/2002


The substance and conclusions of the report issued September 3, 2002 by the RS Government Coordination Bureau for Liaison with the ICTY are simply false. The enormity of the crimes, committed against civilians in Srebrenica in July 1995, including genocide -- as established by the ICTY -- is simple truth. For any government office to maintain otherwise appears a crude attempt to manipulate and divide the public of this country.

We call on all responsible RS authorities to reject the contents of this report, and to demonstrate their commitment that justice be done in the prosecution of all war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. Only in this way can they serve the interests of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those in the RS.


Choke on it, Pythag. Your material is revisionist war crime denying garbage.

Just out of curiosity, do you ever feel guilty about taking part in a movement that knowingly attempts to deceive it's audience? And have you ever pondered upon the actual worth of those followers you do manage to sucker? If FR is any indication, the return on the invested time is a whole bunch of zeroes.

25 posted on 10/16/2004 4:37:17 PM PDT by Hoplite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
Speaking of zeroes, learn to read A. Pole.
26 posted on 10/16/2004 4:49:07 PM PDT by Hoplite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Hoplite
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1240418/posts?page=53#53

Why don't you answer to my question? Don't you know that people on the WWII photo were victimized same way as Serbs during WWII by your Muslim friends from Bosnia and Kosovo. And today your friends victimize Serbs and Gypsies in Kosovo.

Now what about THIS photo:

Is it a hoax or not? Why are you afraid to answer? Why are you pointing to the authentic WWII photos? Do you think that by bringing them you will rub magically the authenticity into the fake one from Bosnia?

Or do you think that this audience has the room temperature IQ and will be swayed by mere associations?

27 posted on 10/16/2004 5:50:03 PM PDT by A. Pole (MadeleineAlbright:"I fell in love with Americans in uniform.And I continue to have that love affair")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
i spoke with a Serb participant of the Srebrenica fight over a week ago while i was along the Drina. In his interpretation, it was a bloodletting that was due.

the muslim military aged men were chased down til they reached muslim controlled lines.

it was a built up vengeance for what the muslims did to the Serbs in the outlying villages the last few years.

however, it was overkill in my opinion and has always been my opinion. you have to know who was doing the fighting, villagers/peasants. Not the most civilized or humane bunch, on either side. the peasants/villagers did the fighting for both sides while the ones with the money bought their exit ticket.

28 posted on 10/19/2004 11:24:09 AM PDT by ma bell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson