Monday, April 07, 2003
A tale of THE DUTCH, THE UN, and THE FRENCH GENERAL
I took a strong interest in the war's of the former Yugoslavia. What compelled my interest was that the war was happening in modern day Europe. I was disgusted by the savagery of that war and wanted to understand why people could act that way. The war was fueled by ethnic fear and hatred, that manifested itself in a genocidal strategy that I didn't think would ever again be seen in Europe. I thought it would have ended with victory over the NAZI'S of WWII.
Civilians were being slaughtered, they weren't victims of "collateral damage" they were being killed on purpose. Civilians were also being raped, tortured, brutalized and put into concentration camps.
The UN finally stepped in and set up a few Safe Haven city's in Bosnia. These Safe Haven's were under UN protection and the UN had the authority to call in NATO forces but NATO but could not act unless it was authorized by the UN higher ups. These Safe Havens were city's and towns were Bosnian refugees could go after there town and villages were ethnically cleansed.
One of these Safe Haven city's was Srebrenica. A contingent of Dutch UN forces was sent to protect the city. The Dutch forces and the UN failed miserably and tragically.
I had learned a little bit of what happened in Srebrenica but never learned the full details until recently when I found This Essay.
A few years ago I saw a documentary on TV that explained how the Dutch Commander sold out the city and the people he was supposed to protect in a deal he made with the Serbian War Criminals. I saw Dutch Commanders celebrating the deal with the Serbian butchers with champagne toasts. I saw a Safe Haven city come under full attack and I saw scared Bosnian men, women and children lining up outside the Dutch Base begging for protection. The Dutch let the Bosnians onto the base but only after they disarmed of all weapons. The Bosnians disarmed believing they wouldn't need there weapons because the Dutch would protect them and the Sebs wouldn't dare attack the UN base. How wrong they were....
I learned the Dutch had asked the UN for Air bombardments on the Serb positions surrounding the city. The French General in command of UN forces refused, he made a secret deal with the Serbs to surrender the city. I saw the Dutch separate the Men from the women and Children and put them on busses to hand deliver them to the waiting Serbian's. The men put on the busses were executed by the Serbs.
I do not blame all the Dutch soldiers for letting this tragedy unfold, they were caught in a situation beyond there control. There commanders and the French General not only betrayed the Bosnians they betrayed the Dutch soldier who believed they were there to do something good.
This is what happens when we put the UN in charge of conflict management of volatile situations. This is why I am glad when the tragedy in Kosovo unfolded Clinton had enough balls to defy the UN and ordered NATO to get things done effectively.
Here is another more to the point article Massacre in Srebrenica
I took a strong interest in the war's of the former Yugoslavia. What compelled my interest was that the war was happening in modern day Europe. I was disgusted by the savagery of that war and wanted to understand why people could act that way. The war was fueled by ethnic fear and hatred, that manifested itself in a genocidal strategy that I didn't think would ever again be seen in Europe. I thought it would have ended with victory over the NAZI'S of WWII.
Civilians were being slaughtered, they weren't victims of "collateral damage" they were being killed on purpose. Civilians were also being raped, tortured, brutalized and put into concentration camps.
The UN finally stepped in and set up a few Safe Haven city's in Bosnia. These Safe Haven's were under UN protection and the UN had the authority to call in NATO forces but NATO but could not act unless it was authorized by the UN higher ups. These Safe Havens were city's and towns were Bosnian refugees could go after there town and villages were ethnically cleansed.
One of these Safe Haven city's was Srebrenica. A contingent of Dutch UN forces was sent to protect the city. The Dutch forces and the UN failed miserably and tragically.
I had learned a little bit of what happened in Srebrenica but never learned the full details until recently when I found This Essay.
A few years ago I saw a documentary on TV that explained how the Dutch Commander sold out the city and the people he was supposed to protect in a deal he made with the Serbian War Criminals. I saw Dutch Commanders celebrating the deal with the Serbian butchers with champagne toasts. I saw a Safe Haven city come under full attack and I saw scared Bosnian men, women and children lining up outside the Dutch Base begging for protection. The Dutch let the Bosnians onto the base but only after they disarmed of all weapons. The Bosnians disarmed believing they wouldn't need there weapons because the Dutch would protect them and the Sebs wouldn't dare attack the UN base. How wrong they were....
I learned the Dutch had asked the UN for Air bombardments on the Serb positions surrounding the city. The French General in command of UN forces refused, he made a secret deal with the Serbs to surrender the city. I saw the Dutch separate the Men from the women and Children and put them on busses to hand deliver them to the waiting Serbian's. The men put on the busses were executed by the Serbs.
I do not blame all the Dutch soldiers for letting this tragedy unfold, they were caught in a situation beyond there control. There commanders and the French General not only betrayed the Bosnians they betrayed the Dutch soldier who believed they were there to do something good.
This is what happens when we put the UN in charge of conflict management of volatile situations. This is why I am glad when the tragedy in Kosovo unfolded Clinton had enough balls to defy the UN and ordered NATO to get things done effectively.
Here is another more to the point article Massacre in Srebrenica
