DR EJUP GANIC & SERBIA'S ABUSE OF INTERPOL SERVICES
"The allegations against Ganic had previously been dismissed by a panel of independent lawyers... there is no evidence any senior official issued an order to fire on the troops." - Clare Montgomery
PHOTO: Prof. Dr. Ejup Ganic in 1998, then President of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, during a news conference in Helsinki.
"The Serbian government issued an indictment for Mr. Ganic, alleging that he and 19 others, including other members of Bosnia's wartime presidency, were responsible for a shooting that took place in 1992 at the Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo. The shooting occurred as a convoy of Yugoslav troops, shepherded by the United Nations, was evacuating from Sarajevo after a deal was brokered with the Yugoslav troops to release the late President of BiH Alija Izetbegovic. An investigation was conducted by the International War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and no indictments were issued in the case. Furthermore, as of the day of Mr. Ganic's arrest, neither BiH nor Serbia has formally filed any charges against Mr. Ganic. Serbia's extradition request is in direct violation of the system set up by the ICTY to try in its court alleged crimes committed in the Balkans during the 1990's. Furthermore, Serbia's extradition request is in direct contravention of a recently signed agreement on extradition between the governments of BiH and Serbia.
Serbia's action is an assault on Bosnia's inherent and inalienable right to defend its population against the Serbian aggression, it is an assault on the reconciliation process, and it is an attempt to undermine the atrocities committed in BiH from 1992 to 1995 by joint Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and Serbian paramilitary troops under Belgrade's command. Serbia has demonstrated by this politicized action that it does not respect Bosnia's sovereignty and that it is not yet prepared to be a trusted neighbor in the Balkans."
"...This is now the British payback against Ganic, Bosnia and the Bosnians. Indeed, it was Ganic who personally helped me get the legal authorization from President Izetbegovic to sue Britain at the World Court for aiding and abetting genocide against Bosnia, as explained in the attached Note. This British persecution of Ejup Ganic is simply a continuation of the genocidal policies that Perfidious Albion has always pursued against Bosnia and the Bosnians."
According to AP, "Defence lawyer Clare Montgomery told the court the allegations against Ganic had previously been dismissed by a panel of independent lawyers, and said that there is no evidence any senior official issued an order to fire on the troops. 'This case is what I would characterize as a mockery of justice.'"
Damir Arnaut, a member of Ganic's legal team, said they plan to lodge an appeal at Britain's High Court against the decision to refuse bail. A judge will consider whether there are any bars to the extradition.
Dr. Ejup Ganic was born in Novi Pazar, Serbia. He is the founder and current president of Sarajevo School of Science and Technology and a regular professor of engineering science at the school. As a member of the Party for Democratic Action, he was President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001. He also served as the vice president. During the Bosnian War, he was part of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dr. Ganic speaks English fluently and has obtained Ph.D. in Engineering Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology located in Boston. He worked as a researcher at University of Belgrade, where he received his master's degree, as well as bachelor's degree in engineering, and as well as an assistant researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researcher at Union Carbide Corporation-Linde Division (New York City), assistant lecturer at New York University and University of Chicago, lecturer at University of Illinois, director of UNIS Institute (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and guest lecturer at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Among his published works, there are over over 100 publications, including "Handbook of Heat Transfer Fundamentals", "Experimental Heat Transfer", "Engineering Turbulence Modelling and Measurements", a book called Engineering Companion, published by McGraw-Hill. He also serves as a member of American Nuclear Society.
posted by Srebrenica Genocide at 12:55 AM
20 Comments:
I doubt whether it's a case of British "payback" against Ganic, more a case of political opportunism and stupidity combined.
For its own domestic political reasons British politicians have let Serbia make an international fool of the British government, the British justice system, the incompetent British courts service, the Foreign Office's sophisticated political analysts and a clutch of other worthies while making sure that Bosnians were told very brutally that the British government has no idea who you are, where your unimportant country is or why you should worry that we celebrate your Independence Day by helping keep the opening of the trial of the man responsible for the biggest bloodbath in Europe post World War II out of the newspapers. Let alone why you should worry that you'll be left to the tender mercies of the con-artist state that has just spun us around on its middle finger.
There's an interesting analysis by Branka Magas of what lies behind Ganic's arrest at the Bosnian Institute site http://www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_body.cfm?newsid=2686
Serbia is seeking Ganic on the basis of evidence that has already been dismissed by the UN war-crimes tribunal (ICTY) in The Hague. And Serbia has only recently signed an agreement with Bosnia-Herzegovina according to which people sought for war crimes would be tried in the countries where they are domiciled, but which it has now chosen to disregard. Ganic’s arrest is all the more puzzling given that the Bosnian federal government is itself, in fact, already conducting an investigation into the events of 3 May, and has consequently applied to the British government for the professor to be returned to Sarajevo.... According to the current members of the Bosnian state presidency Željko Komšic and Haris Silajdžic, by bringing charges against Bosnia’s wartime leaders Serbia has violated the Rome Agreement signed in 1996 by Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. ‘This agreement clearly states that, before the countries who signed it can bring charges, they must first ask for the Hague tribunal’s opinion, which Serbia has failed to do, thus violating international law’, say Komšic and Silajdžic. They stress that they themselves would seek the Hague tribunal’s opinion, ‘because Bosnia-Herzegovina’s sovereignty is also being violated.’
Source: What lies behind the arrest of Ejup Ganic.
Serbia has tried to extradite Agim Ceku several times and has him detained in Slovenia, Bulgaria, and then Colombia. UNMIK (officially) pressure (most likely US and maybe even EU pressure) brought about his release. Ganic's problem is that the US has little need for him, so it's not going to go to bat for him. Nothing malevolent just no interest.
Personally, I think this is a manuever for political consumption. If it works, Tadic gains political points and boost his position. If it doesn't, well I tried but the West kept us down.
I'm not sure if this went through, so here it is again (Dammit, over one hour just trying to get it through! Excuse me, but I do not excel in being patient.)
Dear SG, I've just read a very informative article by Branka Magas on why Serbis is seeking to criminalize all those who defended Bosnia-Herzegovina; you can find it at www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_body.cfm?newsid=2686. But why is Great Britain colluding in this evil little Serbofascist scheme? I'll tell you why, even though I'm sure you know it too: because the leaders of European countries consider Europe to be a Christian club. In this Christian club, Muslims can live only as second-class citizens (or as the politicians prefer to call it "privileged minority"; I wonder what those "privileges" are.) This goes especially for Britain and France, and to a lesser but nevertheless significative extent also Germany and Scandinavia, not to mention the Orthodox countrie s like Greece, Romania and Bulgaria, which are openly hostile towards the Bosniaks. That is why they connived in the Serb genocidal anti-Bosniak crusade, we all know that. Their arms embargo, the conivance in genocide (MacKenzie et al), applying pressure on Bosniak politicians (also on Ejup Ganic!) to surrender, stabbing the Bosniaks in the back, provoking the Bosnian Croats into enmity (Owen!), serving the aggressor half of Bosnia on a silver platter, denying the Bosniaks freedom of travel through visa restrictions, bungling the trials of Milosvic and now Karadzic, all that falls into a pattern. And the dates chosen to apply such measures (such a denying to lift the visa restrictions exactly on Eid al Fitr; arresting Ganic on Independence Day and just when O-Gon Kwon – whom I do not deem to be free of pro-Serb bias btw. – adjourns Karadzic's trial ad infinitum ad sends back the witnesses on the very same day and does not allow them to declare; his regret appears to me to be cynical; all that can't be coincidence nor carelessness, I see a pattern, method, intention, a hidden agenda. The agenda is simply that: to destroy the Bosniaks' morale, to bring them to their knees, to give them the message that they are of no account, insignificant. And why do European politicians do that? Because we are already experiencing a reanissance of fascism in Europe, just as in the 1930s. Then it was against the Jews, and one should not think that rabid, virulent, hateful, destructive antisemitism was exclusive to Germany, no, it was widespread also in France and Britain, the USA and (more concealed) in the Soviet Union; interestingly less so in Spain; it was none other than Franco who abolished the 1492 edict of the Catholic Kings expelling the Jews; and as far as I know, the Spanish never sent back one single Jew who escaped the Holocaust; but I'm disgressing. Today there are very few Jews in Europe; in that sense, Hitler's genocide was successful. So, today's fascists are turning on the Muslims. Legislation directed to oppress or restrict a minority or religious or ethnic group can already be defined as fascism, so the Swiss anti-minaret ban, or various legislations in France or Germany against the headscarf are per definitionem already fascism. See what Geert Wilders is doing (his rhetoric is exactly the same as Karadzic's and therefore I find that s.o.b particularly despicable); and European politicians feel they must be righter than the right. So we will see more anti-Muslim legislation and more fascism in the future, and the idea that not only Turkey must be barred from the EU but Albania as well,and that in Bosnia a situation as in Cyprus or in Palestine is perfectly desirable. Why? Mitterrand said it off the record “a Muslim country in Europe is not on, period.” John Major talked of the “painful but necessary rechristianization of teh Western Balkans”. Today's European leaders pursue the same agenda. I feel ashamed of being a European.
Abdelkrim
Part two:
I'm half German, half Spanish; I have since my childhood maintained a keen interest in the history of the Spanish Muslims of the Middle Ages and how Al Andalus was wasted in the end. One visit to Granada and the Alhambra (and I have been there many, many times since I was a little kid) will suffice to convince you that a terrible injustice was done to those people, that a rich culture and civilization was mercilessly crushed, and today the Bosniaks find themselves in the same predicament as the people of Granada back in 1492, déjà vu all over again!! Hence my great sympathy and affection for the Bosniaks.
I can't forget July 11th, 1995. I was here, far away from the scene, there was nothing I could do, just watch it happen. Thus, a beutiful bright summer day suddenly turned into winter for me. What Europe did back then, and what it continues to do with the Bosniaks right now, is a racist and bigot betrayal of what the Allies supposedly fought for in WWII. It is not that the European leaders let themselves be bamboozled by Milosevic, Karadzic and their just as evil successors; it is just that they find it convenient to suck up to them, for it suits their own Islamophobic notions just fine. The fools, they don't see, or don't care that they continue to antagonize the Muslims worldwide! Indeed, if the anti-Bosniak crusade had been stop-punched in 1992, Al Qaida would not have any justification at all and they would not have any backing among Muslims today. But then, the neocons picked up Samuel Huntington's evil ideology and are actively seeking the “clash of civilizations.” They have the Serbs (and the Israelis) to get their hands bloody and do the dirty work for them. And the Serbs with their obtuse and medieval mentality are only too willing to do it! Even now! I am convinced that while certainly no Bosniak had a hand in it, Sept.11th would not have happened if Srebrenica had not happened. I feel great shame at having to contribute to the perverse anti-Bosniak policy with my taxes. How I wish I could just now move there, and from there do something useful to help the Bosniaks defend themselves from future aggression, if I could do that then I would not have lived in vain.
Abdelkrim (Abdulmajid to my friends)
Owen, thank you for believing that I have my heart on the right spot. Look, I wouldn't do anybody any harm willingly, but some people have through their deeds effectively resigned from the human race, and no punishment or pain that could possibly be inflicted on them, no matter how cruel, could be enough to atone for the evil they unleashed. Escuse my saying, think of Milan Lukic, or that other Chetnik in Visegrad who brutally raped an 11-year old girl and then bragged about it. Even hacking such a fellow to pieces slowly and over a very long period of time would be too good for him. I know we disagree on this; but that person is no longer a human being for me. Through his deeds he has dehumanized himself. Would the expression mad dog, Caliban, or was that cannibal, not be more fitting. Does such a person not deserve the worst, but certainly not to walk this Earth? Has he not richly gained himself a place in Hell, but even the Devil would not want to take him in? Their names and their faces are well known, they deserve death, even if it were 50 years hence and they would be just a helpless grandaddy in a wheelchair like John Demjanjuk? Or if they are dead and buried that their graves are levelled and their remains burnt and the ashes scattered into the wind? I believe they do. Or, alternatively, if they have children, what if somebody told these children what a prince of a fellow their daddy is? Somehow Ana Mladic got knowledge of what her father did in Bosnia. She shot herself. Others would probably disown their old man. And that is the most painful thing that can happen to a father. I wish it to all Chetnik rapists and murderers. Unfortunately, many Serb youths would then be more proud of their old men and try to emulate them, see Marko Vasic. He too has dehumanized himself. I have familiarized myself with his face. I would very much like to spit into it,but then I would soil my spittle. Now, knowing that this fellow would kill a Muslim, and says they should have raped allthe Muslim women and slaughtered all the children, I feel threatened by this individual, that my family is threatened by him. So if I should ever meet him on the street I'd better be prepared to give him an appropriate response before he can attempt to do me any harm. Not to come down to his level but to defend my life, and my daughter and my wife. I'll better not go into what that might be.
Abdelkrim
Not all British politicians have treated Bosnia with contempt - although those who actually had the power to protect the people of Bosnia certainly did. Douglas Hurd is reported as saying that Srebrenica was the biggest mistake of his career. When questioned further by a journalist who thought that he might express regret for the massacre he said that it should never have been declared a safe area.
However among the people of principle who raised their voices in anger at the Major government's collusion with Milosevic was Michael Foot. He spoke out against Hitler before World War II and he spoke out against Milosevic and his fascist regime in the early 1990s.
He presented this film, written and directed by his wife Jill Craigie, in 1994, before Srebrenica.
Jill Craigie died in 1999. Michael Foot died yesterday aged 96. It's hard to imagine what he would have said about the conduct of politicians from his own party in the Ganic case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsvqkMABbjo&feature=related
(in five parts at YouTube)
@ Owen said: "I doubt whether it's a case of British 'payback' against Ganic, more a case of political opportunism and stupidity combined."
I concur, and I find Branka Magas' analysis much more credible. Britain is not a "single entity" to hold grudge against Ganic. Governments change, so do politicians. Most of them probably don't even know who Ganic is. Judging from the latest news, Britain "may" change some of its laws to prevent abuses of a legal principle that applies to allegations of war crimes (but, this does not seem to apply to widespread abuses of Interpol warrants):
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said "that Britain's principle of universal jurisdiction — a wide-ranging legal concept that allows judges to issue warrants for nearly any visitor accused of committing war crimes anywhere in the world — was being abused. While heads of state and senior ministers enjoy immunity, pro-Palestinian groups have used the law to try to arrest former or retired Israeli officials, including Livni, who now serves as opposition leader, and retired general Doron Almog, who narrowly dodged arrest at Britain's Heathrow Airport in 2005." (Source)
Please take a look at the following interview with General Jovan Divjak (ethnic Serb) who was commanding the units of the Army of the RBiH during the defence of Sarajevo. General Divjak was a direct participant in the events of Dobrovoljacka Street. Here is what he said:
RFE: You told me just before this interview that what happened in Dobrovoljacka Street on 3 May cannot be viewed in isolation from what had happened in Sarajevo on the day before, 2 May.
Divjak: 2 May was the day when the JNA tried to take control of the city. At that point in time, its six barracks were surrounded by our Territorial Defence, and it was expected that the JNA would leave Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina by the end of the month. An agreement had been reached at the end of April between the Bosnian presidency and the 2nd Army command, according to which JNA troops and vehicles, other than ambulances and vans supplying food to barracks lacking their own kitchens, were not allowed to move around in Sarajevo. Any other JNA vehicle had to get permission in advance. On 2 May at 3.30 o’clock in the morning the JNA started to shell the city. The shelling continued until 5 o’clock. They targeted the Presidency, the city centre, and the municipalities of Old Town and New Sarajevo. This was an artillery softening-up for the attack that was to follow. That same morning an act of sabotage also occurred at the Main Post Office on the Obala. Continue reading here...
Abdelkrim-Abdulmajid
One way or another Marko and anyone else who tries to sidestep the issue of what was done in the name of Greater Serbia has to stop and accept reality and responsibility, and there must be no more playing games. Atrocities happened on all sides but it was one side that perpetrated those atrocities systematically in accordance with its own strategic ambitions.
Abdelkrim-Abdulmajid
I don't disagree with you in my disgust at the pattern of the West's current collusion with Serbia. But while I don't doubt that there are elements of "religious racism" involved, my inclination is always to look for self-interest.
I'm sorry but to be brutal, Bosnia is for most political intents and purposes a pretty unimportant place except as a potential source of problems for the outside world. Serbia is a potential market, but more importantly it's seen as the key to preventing problems that might involve the outside world, if matters are managed carefully. That's what I've always understood to be the reason why the British colluded so disgracefully with Milosevic in the 1990s and that's why Serbia gets handled so delicately today.
That's the general situation. But when it comes to specifics, again, look to the domestic self-interest of politicians. Why should Ganic be detained by teh UK when there are clear reasons why he should not be, most importantly the post-ICTY winding-down agreement that the FY countries as I understand it would deal with war crimes in the country of the criminals' origin. It would seem that this should have been a Bosnia-Serbia issue, nothing to do with the UK.
That suggests to me that either there was incompetence - never to be ruled out, as witnessed by the court services producing the wrong person in court for the relish of the international media - Britain's court system, pride of the world - or there was a calculation that the benefits outweighed the foreseen risks.
The latter seems likely to me. The domestic political gains that UK politicians envisaged outweighed the risks posed by Bosnia and allies being upset - gains that I suspect that were linked to giving plans make changing the law on private prosecution of war crimes a smoother ride through the UK parliament.
Any appreciation Serbia /Tadic might feel from the the display of apparent respect /support for Serbia was a bonus, but I suspect that was a side issue.
Racism can't be ruled out, certainly, but don't let your judgment be clouded. Racism is relatively easy to identify, expose and attack. Callousness and calculation are far more difficult to deal with. The way you have to do that is to change the balance of the equations. Essentially what it boils down to is making Bosnia important, making sure that there's a political cost if Bosnians' voice is ignored.
(continued - Blogger is playing up without explanations again)
(continuation)
What Dodik has been doing - in a way that should command the respect of British politicians - is subtly and astutely destroying the need for outsiders to treat Bosnian opinion as in any way important. What the outside world sees is that Bosnia is incapable of doing anything by and for itself. And it's not just Western politicians that have to take all the blame for letting him get away with that, Bosnians themselves don't always help themselves in that respect.
Bosnia is not going to be able to speak from a position of power, the alternative is to speak from a position of moral authority and also as a voice of warning. Key to both is holding the West to account for the responsibilities it assumed for Bosnia under Dayton.
Racism is not irrelevant, but it's less important than couldn't-care-lessness. Douglas Hurd would have regretted that the Security Council made Srebrenica a safe area not because it led to the murder of Muslims but because it got in the way of a tidy solution to a sticky problem - and in fact made the problem stickier.
It's important to know which are the battles that count.
Abdulmajid,
Whether they like it or not, but Muslims have been part of Europe for centuries. Europe is not a Christian, but multi-ethnic and multi-national continent. Bosniaks and Albanians are European Muslims whether Christians like this fact or not. We are "here" to stay, this is our continent, we were born and raised on our land.
According to Dnevni Avaz, Ejup Ganic did not attend the court hearing because British court officials made a mistake and brought a wrong man to the courtroom. Ouch!
http://www.dnevniavaz.ba/dogadjaji/iz-minute-u-minutu/odbijena-kaucija-ejup-ganic-ostaje-u-pritvoru/
Also, according to the arrest warrant, the offence was committed on a territory of "Serbia" in "Sarajevo." Hahahaha... Serbia is trully a joke. Sarajevo has never been part of Serbia and will never be part of Serbia.
http://www.dnevniavaz.ba/img/content/slike/faksimil-ganic.jpg
Dear SG,
yes, of course. Bosniaks are Bosniaks, and Bosnia-Herzegovina is your homeland. That you wantto live in yor own countzry and according to your own traditions, and to liev your religion according to your way, and to every individual's way is your good right. And of course all Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats who stood for Bosnia during the war (there were some, among them General Jovan Divjak and the Serbs of Baljvina near Jajce who would not let the Chetniks touch their Bosniak neighbors) too. I too subscribe to "Ima i bice Bosna i Hercegovina i Bsonjaca u njoj!" And not only that. I have witnessed whenever I was there, or amongh Bosniaks a mood of quiet confidence and optimism. While most statements by the Serbofascist essentially show fear.
I commend those courageous 15-year old girls who last summer were not afraid to shout "This is Bosnia" at the chetnik thugs in Srebrenica (Were I not married already, that's how I want my wife to be; but then she too fears only Allah above.)I have no idea how Bosnia could be reunited, but if Dodik really wants to legitimize the genocidal anti-Bosniak crusade and erase Bosnai from the map, then the Bosniaks have allthe right in the world to oppose such a move, no matter what the international community might say. But they must prepare for it. That is the obligation of the Bosniak leaders, that is the duty of every Bosniak man and woman, and who does not that is failing in his or her duty. Which is: to make sure that NEVER AGAIN genocide is committed against the Bosniaks and that NEVER AGAIN the existence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and unity of Bosnia-Herzegovina is questioned or challenged.
abdelkrim
Owen said: "Bosnia is for most political intents and purposes a pretty unimportant place except as a potential source of problems for the outside world."
Ouch, that was harsh, but I respect your discharge of anger (I get it sometimes too). But, I disagree with you. For Serbia to be become "potential [QUESTION MARK]" for anything, first they need to become civilized.
Serbia is less important than any other country in the region. There is no "potential market" in Serbia, as the country is dirty poor, they barely survive. What do you want to do in Serbia? Grow and spread sick ultra-nationalism? Are you kidding me? Serbia is also a very uncivilized society which will hardly ever be integrated into Europe. When my mother went to a bank in Republika Srpska (same system as in Serbia) she was shocked to see bank tellers smoking cigarettes and warming up food on the bank counter!!!! And this was in the public bank!!!! The reason Britain sided with Serbs is because you guys are two Christian nations and many British people would be delighted to see Muslims wiped off the face of this planet. But I know you are not one of them.
Abdulmajid,
You're very kind brother. Thank you so much for your kind words. Bosnia is more important than our lives, and therefore, we will always speak in defense of our country. We have been victims of Christian terrorism and Christian extremism in Europe. Christian terrorists from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, and other uncivilized Christian fascistic countries have done a great deal of harm to our nation. So called "Christian" Europe wanted to see Bosnian Muslims wiped off the face of this planet. They did not like us SIMPLY because we were different - we were of Muslim faith. They prevented us from defending ourselves by imposing an arms embargo, by sending UN generals who were sympathetic to the Serbian fascists during the siege of Sarajevo (e.g. Lewis MacKenzie), by promising us safety in Srebrenica in exchange for our weapons and then abandoning us... I mean, Christians wanted us dead. And I know Owen will dispute this, but this is the truth and nothing but the truth and "Christian" Europe knows it.
(continued)
So many determined individual Bosnians and those who support their cause of truth and justice do work immensely hard to make sure that the unresolved issues of the Bosnian war are kept in the public eye. But it seems to be such an uncoordinated voluntary effort.
For example, we can criticise the incompetence of the ICTY in many areas, exemplified by the destruction of the identity documents and other personal remains. But where was the Bosnian public presence that would have made sure that even the obtuse bureaucrats at the ICTY would have been aware of a need to consult before taking irreversible action?
How did Bosnia let Serbia make all the mileage after the ICJ judgment was issued?
Don't blame Western politicians if they don't think they need to pay attention to Bosnian concerns. If you don't all get your act together and remind the people with power that those concerns are important to their electorate, on moral grounds certainly, but also for reasons of peace and stability grounds, and ultimately, remebering the massive financial cost we have all borne - not just you - as a result of the war, for very solid economic reasons.
I certainly don't want to insult you and ordinary Bosnians, I want you to wake up and realise where you're at and what you have to do, with the support of those of us who consider truth and justice important.
Dan, you misunderstand me. It wasn't anger that made me say Bosnia was unimportant, it was realism. I'm angry at my own government, certainly, for its ignorance and stupidity, but not with anyone else who may be upset at what has happened, not unless they draw the wrong lessons from this messy episode.
Bosnians needs to understand why this has happened in order to make sure that we don't carry on down this road without being fully aware of the consequences.
I'll say it again, in the big scheme of things Bosnia is not important. Why do you think the situation in former Yugoslavia remains as it is? Why has the post-Dayton settlement been allowed to slide unhalted into the present mess? Because Bosnia is not important enough to force anyone to deal with those unresolved problems.
It's essential to be realistic in order to achieve anything. And being "unimportant" doesn't mean to say that you are powerless. What is vital is to understand where your power to influence matters lies, and that means being able to see clearly.
Hopefully the political embarrassment this episode will have caused the British government will have left it in a position where supporting an unrepentant Serbia is seen as foolish and rash. Doing the right thing in this situation is actually doing the politically sensible thing. Bosnians need to get their act together and make sure that they take advantage of the moment.
It really makes me laugh every time
I hear Serb apologist sites talking about how effectively a Bosnian public relations offensive manipulated public opinion during the war into opposition to Serbia. Bosnia received whatever support it did above all because of the outrage of ordinary people who could see what was going on in front of their eyes. That outrage brought pressure on even Major and Hurd.
That is Bosnians' greatest resource, the ability to mobilise wider support in a just cause. But just how effective have they been? Dan, you know yourself how much internal squabbling and short-sightedness has let a single-minded Serbia gain the political high ground. I am utterly bewildered at how Bosnians have managed to let Dodik achieve all that he has. Perfidious Albion, perfidious everyone else, certainly, that's how the world is. But the world works with what it finds.
(continued)
I fear the Serbs will succed this time with their “arrest warrants” and put Ejup Ganic before a kangaroo court. They know what is at stake and their purpose is to make the Karadzic process flounder, for they know if they lose it, they will lose their foothold in Bosnia! And since European leaders want to see the Bosniaks subdued and powerless, they will support the Serbs on the sly. They will bend over backwards to have Dr. Ganic delivered to Serbia even if it contravenes not just decency but also current European law and all conventions, and the agreement between Bosnia and Serbia. Their line of thinking is “We don't want a Muslim Community to exist as a sovereign nation in Europe. Muslims can live in a secular Europe based on Christian values only as a privileged minority.” Yeah, privileged to keep very much to themselves, not to build minarets on their mosques, and to renege all and any traits of their culture that is considerwed “un-western” or “un-European.” Pure fascism. That is why they want to keep Bosnia divided forever. They want the present situation to be frozen in for all time. The plan of the Serbs to ghettoize the Bosniaks in their “Bosniakistan” - two disjointed exclaves, the pocket around Bihac and the parallelogram Mostar-Zenica-Sarajevo-Tuzla, where the Bosniaks would be completely at the mercy of the Serbs and dependedt on humanitarian aid; that is, a Palestine in Europe - is unacceptable for them too because that too would be a Muslim state in Europe. Nevertheless I believe that the Bosniaks must do all to reunify their state and to offer a perspective to the Bosnian Serbs and Croats too, all eles would be pointless. But even so, Western Europe would shun them and lock them in, the same way they did with Franco's Spain in the 1950s.
Abdelkrim
Post a Comment
<< Home