|
|
From notes@igc.apc.org Sun Jul 30 14:35:06 1995 Received: from cdp.igc.apc.org (192.82.108.1) by MediaFilter.org with SMTP (MailShare 1.0b10); Sun, 30 Jul 1995 14:35:06 -0500 Received: (from notes) by cdp.igc.apc.org (8.6.12/Revision: 1.203 ) id JAA03191 for "conf-zamir.chat"; Sun, 30 Jul 1995 09:46:12 -0700 Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 09:27:13 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: Conference "zamir.chat"From: Ivo Skoric Subject: (Fwd) BOUNCE zamir-chat-l@igc.apc.org: Non-member submission f To: Recipients of zamir-chat-l Message-ID: X-Gateway: conf2mail@igc.apc.org Errors-To: owner-zamir-chat-l@igc.apc.org Precedence: bulk Lines: 81 Dear Mr. President: With close-ups of weeping Bosnian women and children and the desperately exhausted expressions of old people, CNN's Christiane Amanpour commented laconically, "This is the face of Serb victory in Bosnia." Nevertheless, Europe and America continue to abdicate a leadership role in Bosnia, holding endless conferences, promising air strikes which are never executed, proclaiming that "Serb gains will not be rolled back" or expressing "fear" that Croatia will fight to defend its own territory. On both continents one politician or UN bureaucrat after another states that some other politician or bureaucrat has the ultimate responsibility for some action - usually one that has either failed or never been carried out. In the face of all that astounding impotence, it is now the Moslem nations that appear to be taking the lead in dealing with Serb acts of genocide and aggression in the Balkans. At the ASEAN conference currently taking place, the Indonesian foreign minister - with the Russian foreign minister in the audience - calls on the Security Council to take measures to end the genocide and aggression in Bosnia and to grant Bosnia "its inherent right to individual and collective self-defense by lifting the ill-conceived arms embargo." At the that conference, reports CNN, "All seven of the ASEAN members FOLLOWED THE US SENATE'S LEAD on Bosnia, demanding an end to the international arms embargo." Mr. President, when you said last week that America must allow other nations to take a leadership role in areas that fall in their spheres of influence, I doubt you intended that Moslem and Asian nations should discover that they had such a sphere practically in the heart of Europe. If they do make such a discovery, I'm not sure either the Europeans or the Americans will in the future be entirely happy with the result. Still, anything that will stop Serb aggression in Bosnia and bring a just resolution of the conflict, is better than what now exists in that desolate country. But, said Nato's Secretary General last week, practically wringing his hands, "There is nothing to prevent all-out war breaking out in Bosnia." But there is in fact something: show the Serbs that they can no longer get away with what they have been doing for the past four years to Bosnian women and children and old people - not to mention the Bosnian soldiers who have died or been maimed. One way of showing the Serbs they can no longer act with impunity would be to regard Bihac as protected in same way Gorazde is, and for Nato to carry out air strikes there against the Serbs. John Major, of course, explains patronizingly after meeting with President Chirac that the situation around Bihac is so "complex" with "five different groups" fighting one another, implying that Nato air strikes would not be practical or effective and once more - in the best British fashion - indicating that the Serbs should be appeased. The Bihac situation "complex"? There are two sides: one allied with the Serbs, the other allied with the Bosnian Moslems. Haris Silajdzic, the Bosnian Prime Minister - with something more at stake in Bosnia than John Major has - pleads on global television that "Bihac must be treated like Gorazde and air strikes must take place." Mr. President, air strikes must take place. The face of Serb victory has to be changed. Sincerely yours, Robert J. Bennett Munich From notes@igc.apc.org Sun Jul 30 15:19:46 1995 Received: from cdp.igc.apc.org (192.82.108.1) by MediaFilter.org with SMTP (MailShare 1.0b10); Sun, 30 Jul 1995 15:19:46 -0500 Received: (from notes) by cdp.igc.apc.org (8.6.12/Revision: 1.203 ) id LAA12358 for "conf-zamir.chat"; Sun, 30 Jul 1995 11:45:43 -0700 Date: 30 Jul 1995 11:10:37 Reply-To: Conference "zamir.chat" From: giljules@usa.net Subject: http://mediafilter.org/SJ/Pages/Continued Sorrow: To: Recipients of zamir-chat-l Message-ID: <1405008809-80862@mediafilter.org> X-Gateway: conf2mail@igc.apc.org Errors-To: owner-zamir-chat-l@igc.apc.org Precedence: bulk Lines: 27 I am at the Frederick Weisman Art Museum In Minneapolis Minnesota viewing the Exhibition "Faces of Sorrow: Agony in Former Yugoslavia." I was in a refugee camp in Posusje, Herzegovina (near Mostar) two years ago working with Bosnian Croat women and children. The exhibit has taken me right back there today. I am able to feel much of what I wouldn't allow myself to feel during my time in Bosnia. I plan to return for that is all I can do to deal with the evil side of our human existence. We are all in need of a bit more humanity. The human condition can be frightening at times...