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http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20020420-87138472.htm THE WASHINGTON TIMES LETTERS Published 4/20/2002 Lessons from Srebrenica There are lessons to be learned from Srebrenica, but not the ones usually cited ("Army chief resigns over massacre in Bosnia," April 18). Context is all-important. From the start of the former Yugoslavia's troubles, intervention by the West was far-reaching and ham-fisted. By declaring the Yugoslav federation and its constitution defunct, the West broke international law. Specifying a crude winner-take-all independence referendum for explicitly multinational federal units was nonsense on stilts. Recognizing Croatia without first settling the Krajina problem and then, in knee-jerk fashion, recognizing a nonexistent Bosnian state further fed ethnic flames. The West laid down its version of the law but didn't follow through with timely enforcement. This was criminal. There also is the matter of backing unilateral - as opposed to negotiated - secession. This has set an ominous precedent. As for the safe-area designation, Srebrenica was not demilitarized. It continued to be used as a springboard for Bosnian Muslim offensives. Not surprisingly, Srebrenica was anything but safe. Srebrenica also was a victim of a trans-Atlantic dispute. Washington advocated air strikes but vetoed the use of U.S. ground troops. The Europeans argued that a policy of air strikes imperiled vulnerable enclaves such as Srebrenica. The compromise was the dispatch to Srebrenica of a token Dutch force. It became the prisoner of both the local Bosnian Muslim military and the surrounding Bosnian Serb forces. YUGO KOVACH Twickenham, United Kingdom Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
