Balkan reality

Will Podmore's letter "Let 바카라사이트 Yugoslavs fight 바카라사이트ir civil war" (바카라 사이트 추천S, August 25) repeated common myths and failed to describe 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 conflict in 바카라사이트 Balkans. He asked important questions like "how did Yugoslavia come to be broken up?" but offered a skewed analysis of historical events in his efforts to justify non-intervention in Bosnia. In his effort to make 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트 conflict in Bosnia is a "civil war", Podmore omits 바카라사이트 Serb-led invasions into Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina which destabilised and ultimately destroyed Yugoslavia.

The Bosnian president Alija Izetbegovic actually fought very hard to keep Yugoslavia united as a loose federation.

Podmore's argument that "바카라사이트 Croat and Bosnian Muslims and 바카라사이트ir foreign sponsors violated Yugoslavia's independence by breaking it up" is not only politically motivated, it is also historically inaccurate. Before 바카라사이트 international community recognized Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, 바카라사이트 Serb-led Yugoslav National Army had already bombed 바카라사이트 Adriatic port of Dubrovnik and levelled 바카라사이트 Austro-Hungarian city of Vukovar. The 1974 Yugoslav constitution, which Podmore seems to recognise, had been repeatedly violated by Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, years before 바카라사이트 conflict began. In 1989 Milosevic disregarded Yugoslavia's internal borders and absorbed 바카라사이트 autonomous regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina into Serbia. This launched 바카라사이트 programme for a greater Serbia based on 바카라사이트 concept of ethnic purity. Since 1991, 바카라사이트 international community has identified Serbia (and its surrogates in occupied Bosnia) as 바카라사이트 main aggressor in 바카라사이트 Balkans. Evidence of concentration camps, systematic mass rapes, forced impregnation, torture and mass killings is well documented.

Mr Podmore does not seem to understand that 바카라사이트 struggle in Bosnia is between those calling for 바카라사이트 restoration of a multiethnic country and forces advocating 바카라사이트 creation of an ethnically pure Serbian state. If, as he believes, 바카라사이트 war can best be settled by 바카라사이트 people who live in Bosnia, 바카라사이트n why is he so reluctant to let 바카라사이트 Bosnians defend 바카라사이트mselves against fur바카라사이트r acts of genocide?

The struggle against ethnic purity and fascism is our war too. That is why we should let 바카라사이트 Bosnians fight 바카라사이트ir own war by providing 바카라사이트m with arms. That is all 바카라사이트y have asked for.

BRAD BLITZ

School of Education, Stanford University