It is my pleasure and honor to pass along this link to an important and necessary piece of scholarship by my comrade Daniel Toljaga, published by the Bosnia Institute:
Prelude to the Srebrenica Genocide
This was published on Nov. 18 after Daniel had put in a great deal of time researching, writing, editing, and soliciting input and advice from his wide circle of writers, scholars, activists, and other contacts. I apologize to Daniel for not having posted this immediately; if you haven't already read this piece, you need to do so immediately. And then bookmark this page so you have it handy as a reference whenever you are compelled to refute any of the ridiculous justifications for Serb nationalist actions at Srebrenica, the inaction of the international community at the time, or for attempts to derail the ongoing efforts to bring the responsible parties to justice. Daniel effectively demolishes the arguments which are used by revisionists to cloud the issue of responsibility and causation.
Showing posts with label Srebrenica Genocide Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Srebrenica Genocide Blog. Show all posts
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, October 16, 2009
Milorad Trbic Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Srebrenica Genocide
Great news; the wheels of international justice haven't completely stopped moving. Milorad Trbic has been sentenced to 30 years for his rule in the Srebrenica Genocide. See this post from Srebrenica Genocide Blog for more details and links. This is real victory, even though of course the sentence will always pale in comparison to the scale of the crime in a genocide trial. But what is important is the 'guilty' verdict itself. An international body has spoken for all of us, and condemned evil in our name.
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There are people who argue that we in the international community need to "move on", either to heal or to let the past stay past, and so on. It helps to be reminded (painful as it may be) that the war over the meaning of the Balkan wars (and the larger issues involved) is hardly over. Oliver Kamm shines a bright light on one of the many dingy little corners of Srebrenica denial/Balkan revisionism in this article. Regular readers of this blog--especially those of you who stuck with my through the epic "Fools' Crusade" blow-by-blow review--will have little difficulty guessing whether or not I side with Kamm on the "ignore their poisonous nonsense, or call them out on their distortion of the historical record" debate.
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There are people who argue that we in the international community need to "move on", either to heal or to let the past stay past, and so on. It helps to be reminded (painful as it may be) that the war over the meaning of the Balkan wars (and the larger issues involved) is hardly over. Oliver Kamm shines a bright light on one of the many dingy little corners of Srebrenica denial/Balkan revisionism in this article. Regular readers of this blog--especially those of you who stuck with my through the epic "Fools' Crusade" blow-by-blow review--will have little difficulty guessing whether or not I side with Kamm on the "ignore their poisonous nonsense, or call them out on their distortion of the historical record" debate.
Friday, July 03, 2009
JUDGE CONSIDERS DROPPING SOME CHARGES AGAINST KARADZIC
Please see this post at the Srebrenica Genocide Blog for details, explanation, and a list of contacts so you can take action.
EDIT: Please see the comment from Owen below; it appears that initial reports might have been too alarmist. Which is good news.
EDIT: Please see the comment from Owen below; it appears that initial reports might have been too alarmist. Which is good news.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Genocide Denier Allowed to Slander Bosniaks in University of Minnesota-connected Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
As already noted by Daniel in this post at the always-excellent Srebrenica Genocide Blog, the Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota has made a poor and disturbing choice--to allow a well-documented genocide denier to write at least one page of their website:
"Bosnia and the Holocaust is a very incomplete, disingenuous, and misleading article to be as generous as possible. While the decision to defer on this niche topic to an "expert" like Carl Savich, who possesses the requisite academic credentials, might be understandable, someone in an editorial capacity should have had second thoughts when the web "source" Savich links to were given the most cursory of examinations. Savich links to this article from the "Srpska Mreza" website. Put aside how grossly misleading and dishonest this article is--the writing is atrocious, and the style is far below the level expected of an undergraduate paper.
Someone at the Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies has really dropped the ball on this. There are simply no standards of basic academic honesty or fundamental research to be seen--this is a disgrace to the Center and the to the University of Minnesota.
What is most troubling is that, after reading Daniel's account, I sent a rather detailed email alerting the Center to this problem, and to date have not even received a perfunctory acknowledgment of my concerns. Considering that I informed them they were allowing a genocide denier to use a pro-genocide, far-right website as a source in an article promoting propaganda as history, one would think someone at their end would want to address my concerns. So far, however, nobody there seems to care much.
More on this issue as it develops--or, so far, as it has sadly failed to develop.
"Bosnia and the Holocaust is a very incomplete, disingenuous, and misleading article to be as generous as possible. While the decision to defer on this niche topic to an "expert" like Carl Savich, who possesses the requisite academic credentials, might be understandable, someone in an editorial capacity should have had second thoughts when the web "source" Savich links to were given the most cursory of examinations. Savich links to this article from the "Srpska Mreza" website. Put aside how grossly misleading and dishonest this article is--the writing is atrocious, and the style is far below the level expected of an undergraduate paper.
Someone at the Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies has really dropped the ball on this. There are simply no standards of basic academic honesty or fundamental research to be seen--this is a disgrace to the Center and the to the University of Minnesota.
What is most troubling is that, after reading Daniel's account, I sent a rather detailed email alerting the Center to this problem, and to date have not even received a perfunctory acknowledgment of my concerns. Considering that I informed them they were allowing a genocide denier to use a pro-genocide, far-right website as a source in an article promoting propaganda as history, one would think someone at their end would want to address my concerns. So far, however, nobody there seems to care much.
More on this issue as it develops--or, so far, as it has sadly failed to develop.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Republika Srpska Government Continues War on Bosnian Culture and History
There really is no other way to describe the recent action by the RS government to remove the "Bosnian" prefix from the names of the cities Bosanski Brod and Bosanska Kostajnica.
Thanks to Owen for bringing this issue to my attention; you can read more about this blatant act of ultranationalism here. If you are inclined to regard this is as a meaningless gesture, I would direct your attention to the fact that the law stipulates a monetary fine between 1,500 to 20,000 KM for anyone who uses the old names in official correspondence.
The partition of Bosnia continues, and will continue until the entities are eliminated. The continued existence of the Republika Srpska does little more than provide an institutional base for nationalists, and official sanction to continued segregation.
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I would also direct readers to Daniel's always-excellent Srebrenica Genocide Blog. He has a new post up on the latest developments in the lawsuit brought against the Dutch state by the survivors of Srebrenica, and has promised another update as well.
Thanks to Owen for bringing this issue to my attention; you can read more about this blatant act of ultranationalism here. If you are inclined to regard this is as a meaningless gesture, I would direct your attention to the fact that the law stipulates a monetary fine between 1,500 to 20,000 KM for anyone who uses the old names in official correspondence.
The partition of Bosnia continues, and will continue until the entities are eliminated. The continued existence of the Republika Srpska does little more than provide an institutional base for nationalists, and official sanction to continued segregation.
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I would also direct readers to Daniel's always-excellent Srebrenica Genocide Blog. He has a new post up on the latest developments in the lawsuit brought against the Dutch state by the survivors of Srebrenica, and has promised another update as well.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Judge Lynn Adelman Doesn't Think Dealing With Genocide Is In His Job Description
The ever-vigilant Daniel at Srebrenica Genocide Blog has passed along a disturbing story about a US District Judge who evidently doesn't think that Federal law--at least not the Genocide Accountability Act--is something he should be bothering with.
In short--faced with Serb illegal immigrant Nedjo Ikonic, Judge Adelman seems to feel that he shouldn't allow the orderly deportation hearing to get cluttered up with too much nattering about human rights abuses, war crimes, and the largest single act of genocide in Europe since World War II. "I am not a war crimes tribunal" is his explanation of his position.
Ikonic is accused of taking a direct role in the Srebrenica massacre; it is troubling that the Judge seems to be looking for excuses to let him escape justice. He needs to reconsider his position; he also needs to be reminded that there is a federal law on the books regarding this situation.
Read the full story here, and then do as I did and send a short, respectful email to the judge gently reminding him that he is dealing with a suspect who is accused of something a little more serious than immigration fraud.
Here is the text of my email:
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Your honor,
It is my understanding that in the deportation matter of Serb immigrant and accused war criminal Nedjo Ikonic, you have publicly stated that you are "not a war tribunal."
I trust that by now I am not the first person to bring to your attention the Genocide Accountability Act of 2007. Nor would I expect myself to be the first person to remind you that the atrocity at Srebrenica has been ruled as an act of genocide by the the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.
Given the severity of this issue, it is my deepest wish that you reconsider your position on this matter.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Kirk Johnson
[contact information]
In short--faced with Serb illegal immigrant Nedjo Ikonic, Judge Adelman seems to feel that he shouldn't allow the orderly deportation hearing to get cluttered up with too much nattering about human rights abuses, war crimes, and the largest single act of genocide in Europe since World War II. "I am not a war crimes tribunal" is his explanation of his position.
Ikonic is accused of taking a direct role in the Srebrenica massacre; it is troubling that the Judge seems to be looking for excuses to let him escape justice. He needs to reconsider his position; he also needs to be reminded that there is a federal law on the books regarding this situation.
Read the full story here, and then do as I did and send a short, respectful email to the judge gently reminding him that he is dealing with a suspect who is accused of something a little more serious than immigration fraud.
Here is the text of my email:
********************
Your honor,
It is my understanding that in the deportation matter of Serb immigrant and accused war criminal Nedjo Ikonic, you have publicly stated that you are "not a war tribunal."
I trust that by now I am not the first person to bring to your attention the Genocide Accountability Act of 2007. Nor would I expect myself to be the first person to remind you that the atrocity at Srebrenica has been ruled as an act of genocide by the the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.
Given the severity of this issue, it is my deepest wish that you reconsider your position on this matter.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Kirk Johnson
[contact information]
Monday, October 13, 2008
UPDATE ON "DUTCHBAT 3" / MARCO VAN HEES STORY
Please see the update at Srebrenica Genocide Blog
Daniel has received some new information about Srebrenica Genocide denier Marco van Hees--turns out, the scumbag wasn't even in Srebrenica at the time of the massacres! Please read the above-linked story for this updated information.
Daniel has received some new information about Srebrenica Genocide denier Marco van Hees--turns out, the scumbag wasn't even in Srebrenica at the time of the massacres! Please read the above-linked story for this updated information.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Genocide Denial Goes Dutch
Thanks to Daniel at Srebrenica Genocide Blog for the following update on a very troubling and offensive story:
MARCO VAN HEES AND ALEKSANDAR GAVRILOVIC: SREBRENICA GENOCIDE DENIERS
The story focuses on Marco Van Hees, who seems to be the ringleader of the "Dutchbat III" group of 15 Dutch soldiers involved in Srebrenica genocide denial. The fact that these men are willing to add further shame to their record is almost numbing; it's almost--not quite, but nearly--impossible to muster any outrage against such an irrational act of betrayal and contrariness.
Daniel covers the story thoroughly, so I have nothing to add about the specifics. I do wonder if anyone out there has any insights into the psychology of someone like Marco Van Hees. The fact that he was present in Srebrenica, yet is able to claim a distorted and dishonest version of events, is troubling yet not difficult to believe--people often lie, and they often convince themselves to beleive a version of events which contradicts their own personal experiences. While unfortunate (to put it mildly), there is nothing extraordinary about Van Hees' ability to deny a horrible reality he should be bearing witness to.
It's not the ability of 15 or so Dutchbat soldiers to lie to the world, and seemingly to themselves, about a horrible atrocity they were witness to--and passive participants in--which puzzles me; rather, it is the motivation to do so which I cannot understand. I do have a theory, however, and I welcome any input from readers with more expertise, knowledge, and/or insight into individual and group psychology to correct, elaborate, or refute my (admittedly half-baked) notion.
Simply put, I believe that these few Dutch soldiers who have chosen to side with the fascist mass-murderers of Srebrenica are motivated at least partially from a feeling of powerlessness. I acknowledge that the more obvious answer would be that they are motivated by shame, and a desire to rewrite history so that their actions (and failures to act) in August of 1995 might seem more reasonable and justified. No doubt this plays a part, but I have read that violence is often a reaction to a feeling of powerlessness--a primal urge to lash out and assert control over a situation or perceived status.
The Dutch soldiers at Srebrenica, by a combination of factors both imposed and self-created, were passive pawns in a much larger game, and one can easily imagine the humiliation they must have felt. I realize I am not giving any attention to the incident where frustrated Bosniak soldiers inflicted casualities on the Dutchbat battalion in an attempt to force them to take a stand--that incident most certainly fueled some resentment on the part of the Dutchbat soldiers. And the stresses of being trapped in the enclave with thousands of desperate people of a different culture, language, and faith cannot be discounted.
Even acknowledging all that, I still contend that the humiliation inflicted on the Dutch soldiers by the Bosnian Serb forces, by General Mladic personally, and by the untenable position the UN and their own government had put them in--all of this contributed to a sense of powerlessness, and the dirty, desperate, and not always "grateful" Muslims who were nominally in their care were the most obvious, and easiest, targets for that frustrated rage to focus on.
At any rate, this is a story worth following. These foolish and dishonorable Dutch men will certainly provide ample ammunition for the Balkan revisionist crowd. We must be vigilant and tireless in response.
MARCO VAN HEES AND ALEKSANDAR GAVRILOVIC: SREBRENICA GENOCIDE DENIERS
The story focuses on Marco Van Hees, who seems to be the ringleader of the "Dutchbat III" group of 15 Dutch soldiers involved in Srebrenica genocide denial. The fact that these men are willing to add further shame to their record is almost numbing; it's almost--not quite, but nearly--impossible to muster any outrage against such an irrational act of betrayal and contrariness.
Daniel covers the story thoroughly, so I have nothing to add about the specifics. I do wonder if anyone out there has any insights into the psychology of someone like Marco Van Hees. The fact that he was present in Srebrenica, yet is able to claim a distorted and dishonest version of events, is troubling yet not difficult to believe--people often lie, and they often convince themselves to beleive a version of events which contradicts their own personal experiences. While unfortunate (to put it mildly), there is nothing extraordinary about Van Hees' ability to deny a horrible reality he should be bearing witness to.
It's not the ability of 15 or so Dutchbat soldiers to lie to the world, and seemingly to themselves, about a horrible atrocity they were witness to--and passive participants in--which puzzles me; rather, it is the motivation to do so which I cannot understand. I do have a theory, however, and I welcome any input from readers with more expertise, knowledge, and/or insight into individual and group psychology to correct, elaborate, or refute my (admittedly half-baked) notion.
Simply put, I believe that these few Dutch soldiers who have chosen to side with the fascist mass-murderers of Srebrenica are motivated at least partially from a feeling of powerlessness. I acknowledge that the more obvious answer would be that they are motivated by shame, and a desire to rewrite history so that their actions (and failures to act) in August of 1995 might seem more reasonable and justified. No doubt this plays a part, but I have read that violence is often a reaction to a feeling of powerlessness--a primal urge to lash out and assert control over a situation or perceived status.
The Dutch soldiers at Srebrenica, by a combination of factors both imposed and self-created, were passive pawns in a much larger game, and one can easily imagine the humiliation they must have felt. I realize I am not giving any attention to the incident where frustrated Bosniak soldiers inflicted casualities on the Dutchbat battalion in an attempt to force them to take a stand--that incident most certainly fueled some resentment on the part of the Dutchbat soldiers. And the stresses of being trapped in the enclave with thousands of desperate people of a different culture, language, and faith cannot be discounted.
Even acknowledging all that, I still contend that the humiliation inflicted on the Dutch soldiers by the Bosnian Serb forces, by General Mladic personally, and by the untenable position the UN and their own government had put them in--all of this contributed to a sense of powerlessness, and the dirty, desperate, and not always "grateful" Muslims who were nominally in their care were the most obvious, and easiest, targets for that frustrated rage to focus on.
At any rate, this is a story worth following. These foolish and dishonorable Dutch men will certainly provide ample ammunition for the Balkan revisionist crowd. We must be vigilant and tireless in response.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Another Worthy Blog--Cafe Turco
One of the comments on the July 14 post at Srebrenica Genocide Blog was from a certain Sarah Franco, who had modestly requested "Please do not publish this comment, otherwise it may look like I am using this blog to promote my own." Fortunately, Daniel ignored her request and published her comment anyway, because her blog deserves to be promoted:
Cafe Turco.
Ms. Franco participated in the 13th anniversary memorial trip to Srebrenica, so her viewpoint and observations are particularly welcome. Considering the depressing news out of Republika Srpska recently, it is refreshing to discover another comrade in the fight for justice and truth.
Cafe Turco.
Ms. Franco participated in the 13th anniversary memorial trip to Srebrenica, so her viewpoint and observations are particularly welcome. Considering the depressing news out of Republika Srpska recently, it is refreshing to discover another comrade in the fight for justice and truth.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Civil Action Filed in Dutch Court Against Dutch Government
THE DUTCH STATE FAILED IN ITS DUTY TO PROTECT CIVILIAN VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE AT SREBRENICA (post from Srebenica Genocide Blog)
Please read this post at Daniel's excellent blog; I'm sure we'll all be watching this story closely.
Please read this post at Daniel's excellent blog; I'm sure we'll all be watching this story closely.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Darko Trifunovic--Srebrenica Denier
I haven't written anything on the case of the loathsome Darko Trifunovic, and rather than rehashing what others have written, I encourage you to read up on the story:
Daniel and Srebrenica Genocide Blog has followed the story, including this latest update.
I encourage all visitors to this blog to read Daniel's coverage of this troubling development in the ongoing Bosnian revisionist crusade against truth and reconciliation.
Daniel and Srebrenica Genocide Blog has followed the story, including this latest update.
I encourage all visitors to this blog to read Daniel's coverage of this troubling development in the ongoing Bosnian revisionist crusade against truth and reconciliation.
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