Massacre at Srebrenica

Just last night saw a programme on the SAS in which a former member 'Nick Cameron' spilt the beans on the lack of UN response to the before-it-happened suspected massacre of 7,000 - 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in the supposedly safe enclave of Srebrenica in '95. Unfortunately I remember this occasion well. I was working in ahem central government at the time, briefing up to the JOC and JIC, at times directly to cabinet level.

I was aware at the time that we did indeed have regiment guys there pretending to be blue hats - in itself somewhat sensitive - and as we saw the catastrophe unfolding, I expected that SFOR (or what is IFOR? I forget the specifics) were tracking the situation and would defuse it before it became a disaster.

No such luck. Hamstrung by UN rules, the on-the-ground force were unable to take any action, and the massacre occurred. In this case, I do not blame UKGOV, but rather the UN as a whole. It was, I believe, the largest massacre since the Second World War. It caused me much distress, just as a very distant observer. As for 'Campbell' and his colleagues, I cannot imagine, let alone the victims and their relatives.

How long can it be that such events are not prevented, even if we have to circumvent official rules and justify after? Please, please, please let it be a lesson that we must embrace humanity rather than rules. I know this does not sound like a retired two-and-a-half, but by God, there is a limit.

 

The answer is simple. Get people in power with a set of balls.

 

Same thing happend in Rawanda.The UN is about as effective as a cat flap in an elephant house.The definition of stupidity is not learning from passed mistakes. If we get involved in such a sceniario again there should be a mandate that if certain circumstances arise,peacekeeping stops and arse kicking begins.

 

Problem being that the people in charge of the boots on the ground at the location are not given clear mandates, don't wish to jeopardise their careers, with our limited capabilities we're going to even more tied when we fully integrate with the French which Ammond seems to be driving the defence of the realm

 

Iraq/Libya = oil
Bosnia/Rwanda = no oil

Simples...

 

Absolutely.As a mere bystander, still must admit the read, Shake Hands With The Devil swept away any idea of romanticising the UN. The author and poor sod in charge of the UN contingency trying to sustain any order had a breakdown, I believe, as well one might. The Belgians sent 15 soldiers as a contribution per 800,000 Rwandans.

It would probably help if the HQ was moved from America to someplace where people knew and cared what went on......

 

Long time ago I know, but IFOR was the NATO-led force which deployed in late 95 to implement the post-Srebrenica Dayton Agreement, assuming authority on 20 Dec 1995, succeeded a year later by SFOR. The previous, UN, force was UNPROFOR.