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**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:08 AM

'Those Horrific Times are Unforgettable, We Couldn't Defend People We Sheltered'
By Basri Dogan, Amsterdam
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

'We could not defend the innocent people who relied on us. I feel myself responsible. I still cannot forget those horrific times," Wim Dikjma told Zaman. He is one of the 250 Dutch soldiers who underwent psychological treatment from among the United Nations (UN) Peace Force 600-member troop in Bosnia who paved the pay for the carnage by turning Srebrenica over to the Serbs on 15 July 1995. Responsible for the troop's internal intelligence in Srebrenica between 16 January and 21 July 1995, Dikjma says he went through a six-month psychological treatment after his return to The Netherlands.

Terming his 6-month Bosnian stint as "the hardest and the most horrific job of my life," the former Dutch soldier described the Serbs brutality as "a complete massacre." However, he does not find himself personally "guilty". "I am not guilty, but I feel myself responsible," he says. The one responsible is the UN he claims and that they were helpless. "Our aim to go there was very different. When we arrived there, we saw that we were helpless. Because, all the authority rested with the UN. They ordered us not to open fire. They told us, 'open fire only as a deterrent measure'. Also, we did not have sufficient heavy weapons. We were sent there as a kind of 'backup'. I mean what was expected from us was being a deterrent force and protection but we could not achieve these properly." Explaining they were only allowed to open fire if the Serbs attacked, Dijkma noticeably avoids accusing the Dutch commanders. "The one guilty is who sent us there and did not give us any authority. No convoys and reinforcement forces could enter the city. What could 600 people do? Due to all these reasons, we could not protect the Muslim Bosnians who had no weapons. Even if I am not guilty, I feel myself responsible as I was there." Dijkma portrays the Srebrenica massacre as "really horrific." As if confessing his sins the former soldier says, "The innocent people relied on us. They were found shelter with us. We could not defend them sufficiently. I am responsible. However, feeling responsible and feeling guilty are different. If people had known the violence of war, they would sit and think a thousand times before starting a war."

Stressing that identifying the victims is significant the former soldier said it would not "take a long time" to identify all the bodies from Srebrenica: "I really have qualms of conscience. I cannot sleep. I went through psychological treatment which still continues." It is striking that contrary to Dijklma, the Dutch administration still does not accept responsibility for the incidents even on the 10th anniversary of the massacre.

Dijkma also delivered a lecture in the Dutch city of Vugt to commemorate the Srebrenica massacre. Being exposed to questions from the audience like, "Why were these innocent people not defended and why did the UN leave them unprotected?" Dijkma gave "three reasons" for them. "The soldiers could only protect themselves, the UN was weak and the soldiers were inexperienced. There is a real irregularity in the international system. The massacre openly said, 'I am coming'. We could not defend the Bosnians."

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:09 AM

Can Apologies Alleviate Pain?
[NEWS IMPRESSION]
By ADEM YAVUZ ARSLAN, SREBRENICA
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

The pain of experiencing a traumatic personal tragedy never really ends be it a few months or a few years. The Srebrenica massacre is evidence of such a case.

Although 10 years have passed ever since the carnage, the grief is still alive in Bosnian mothers and children. Every coffin and every piece of news causes a flush of tears. This year's commemoration ceremony began with a heartrending scene at the Potocari memorial ceremony, where an estimated 40,000 people gathered. Hundreds of coffins lined up on the grass and mothers, husbands and orphans in tears stood near with pieces of paper in their hands and numbers on coffins. Mothers touched their coffins feeling reunited with the bodies of their children, for whom they had wished for at least a grave for years. Tears fell on coffins as a mournful rain. The Bosnian mothers, mourning their losses for years cried silently. "Very important people" in "formal" clothes spoke about their contributions to world peace on microphones but the mothers of the victims did not hear them. The families of the victims were so engrossed in the coffins, they even did not recognize Serbia-Montenegro's President Boris Tadic, who attended the ceremony for the first time this year. Tadic came with his head bowed and left Potocari the same way after he laid a wrath.

What marked this year's commemoration ceremony at Potocari, where the massacre was committed, was the apology by the West. The civilized world would find the ones responsible, it was promised at the platform. But these claims were contradicted. As the world leaders were urging war criminals must be tried, the sound of guns being fired could be heard from Serb regions signaling that they were not regretful of what they committed. The assurances given were trusted and 610 coffins were waiting to be buried today as a result. The coffins on people's shoulders were light as they contained the skeletal remains of 610 Bosnians massacred near the Crni village ten years ago. Bones awaiting DNA analysis for years were finally on way to their eternal resting place. Thousands of cries mixed with hiccups were heard. Those, who could not bear the pain fainted at the sight of their children's or father's coffins.

The huge crowd also saw immense agitation and a different tragic story at each step. Srebrenican Hatice Mohammedovic was one of the women in great pain. She was burying her husband and her son. She told us her relatives were murdered ten years ago: "My husband, my children and their relatives…I lost more than a 100 within a few days. When I die, my surname will be lost in history." There were different stories at each graves but there was one language in Potocari yesterday, that of tears

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:09 AM

World Apologizes at 10th Anniversary of Srebrenica Massacre
By Adem Yavuz Arslan, Srebrenica
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

Political leaders from more than 50 countries and thousands of citizens gathered at Potocari near Srebrenica on Monday, July 11, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre marking the end of the "ethnic cleansing" in former Yugoslavia conducted between 1992 and 1995. Bosnian Muslim families buried the remains of 610 victims, identified by DNA analysis.

Top-level officials speaking at the ceremony admitted the Srebrenica massacre was the failure and the shame of the West as they apologized to Bosnians on behalf of the entire world.

Bosnians flowed into Potocari ferried by about 250 buses and thousands of cars and sent off the massacre victims with a funeral ceremony attended more than 40,000 people. Some 15,000 white headscarves sent from Turkey were distributed before the ceremony took place. Bosnian President Suleyman Tihic made the opening speech, "Dear families of the victims," Tihic said, "I have no words of comfort for your pain and suffering. Nothing I can say will bring back or replace your loved ones, the only thing that we can do on this occasion is to commit ourselves one more time and do our utmost to discover and properly bury all the missing and murdered individuals, and punish the culprits for the crime they committed, especially those most wanted - Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic."

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz also attended the commemoration ceremony. Beginning his address with a long salute in Arabic, Wolfowitz went on to say, "We're here today for many reasons. But most of us are here to remember and honor the victims of the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II. Equally, we are here to console the survivors and to commit ourselves to do everything that we can to help them rebuild their shattered lives." If the Western world had done what it should have done, he stressed, the Srebrenica massacre would never have occurred. It is the shame of the entire world, he added. "I am proud that the World Bank has been able to participate in building a better future for this country and I appeal to everyone here today to stand together to make the dreams of this young generation a reality."

The European Union (EU) Term President Great Britain's Foreign Minister Jack Straw said: "It is the shame of the international community that this evil took place under our noses, and that we did nothing . I bitterly regret this, and I am deeply sorry for it." Straw also expressed his concern over the failure to arrest those believed to be responsible, Karadzic and Mladic.

"Srebrenica was the failure of NATO, of the West, of peacekeeping and of the United Nations," said the former U.S. envoy to the Balkans, Richard Holbrooke, the "architect of Bosnian peace". He said his mission would not be complete until Karadzic and Mladic are arrested. More than 100 statesmen attended the commemorative ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. Turkey was represented by a large group of parliamentarians and officials from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) led by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Serbian President Boris Tadic and Croatian President Mesic also attended the ceremony. After the condemnation of the massacre by political leaders, Mustafa Ceric, the director of religious affairs in Bosnia-Herzegovina led the funeral prayer. "The truth cannot be forgotten, it cannot be denied. The evil must be spoken about for the evil not to be forgotten," demanded Ceric in his prays.

A group of NGOs from Serbia supported Srebrenican mothers during the historic ceremony. A Serbian anti-war women's organization expressing their empathy for Bosnian Muslim families urged that the war criminals must stand before a court and be tried for their crimes

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:10 AM

Srebrenica Massacre Architects at Large 10 Years on
By Foreign News Desk, Istanbul
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

The United Nations (UN) war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia at The Hague termed the Srebrenica Massacre by Serbs as "genocide" for the first time on 19 April 2004.

The former Serbian political leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic, ringleaders of the Srebrenica Massacre and other war crimes in Bosnia, are still at large 10 years on. International pressure on the Serbian administration for their arrest is "insufficient". Although official statements say the noose around Karadzic and Mladic tightens, the failure to arrest them frustrates the victims' families. Mladic had said just before the massacre on 12 July 1995 those, who wished to leave the city, would be allowed. "Don't be afraid," Mlaidc has continued. He had promised women and children would go first and no one would be hurt.

Nineteen people have been charged in the lawsuit at The Hague tribunal so far. Six of them were sentenced to prison. Ten are still being tried or awaiting trial. The top-level Serbian official sentenced by the tribunal is a Serbian army commander Radislav Krstic. He was sentenced to 35 years for war crimes and involvement in genocide

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:11 AM

22 Mass Graves Found, 7,000 Corpses Still Unidentified
By Cihan News Agency, Anadolu News Agency (aa), Srebrenica
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

How many Bosnians were murdered within the span of a few days is as yet unknown.

While the Prosecutor of the United Nations (UN) Former Yugoslavia War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague puts the death toll as between 7,000 and 8,000, the report prepared by the Bosnian Serb government gives the number 7,779 and the Bosnian government's report says "more than 8,374." The Bosnian Serb Republic President Dragan Cavic had officially acknowledged the massacre on 22 June 2004 in a statement. Cavic said, "After what had passed, I must say above all as a human being, as a Serb, as a father, as a brother, as a son and lastly as the President of Serbian Republic that the 9-day Srebrenica tragedy is a black page in Serbian history." So far, 42 mass graves have been uncovered around Srebrenica. The specialists believe there are 22 more mass graves. The victims identified until today number 2,070. Body parts in more than 7,000 bags still await identification.

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:11 AM

Gul Expresses Wishes for No More Massacres
By Cihan News Agency, Saraybosna (Sarajevo)
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul representing Turkey at the commemoration ceremony for the 10th Anniversary of Srebrenica Massacre said, "If God's willing, this pain will not repeat itself again."

Gul complained that some of perpetrators of this massacre were still at large. "We want them to be captured immediately," he said. He assessed the President of Serbia Montenegro, Boris Tadic's attendance at the ceremony for the first time and his friendly statements as positive developments. With regard to himself and the Turkish MPs that attended the ceremony as representatives of Turkey, Gul said: "This is the 10th anniversary of the tragic large scale massacre. About 20,000 individuals were slaughtered in Bosnia, in the middle of Europe and under the assurances of the United Nations to boot." Gul then visited the Turkish Culture Center in Saraybosna (Sarajevo).

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:12 AM

Holbrooke: Serbian Church Protects Karadzic
By Anadolu News Agency (aa), Saraybosna (Sarajevo)
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

Former US Ambassador to United Nations (UN) Richard Holbrooke and the architect of the Bosnian Peace treaty claimed former Serbian leader Radovan Karadzic was being protected by the Serbian Church and the biggest Serbian political party in Bosnia, the Serbian Democratic Party (SDP).

Holbrooke told the Associated Press (AP) that the SDP was a criminal organization protecting Karadzic adding that if asked to predict Karadzic's whereabouts, he could guess a monastary as his hideout.

Holbrook was in Saraybosna (Sarajevo) for the memorial services of the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) special forces have been searching for Karadzic for a long time. They detained his son Alexander last week on the suspicion of having information on his father's whereabouts

**imported_RUDO** · 02-11-2006, 09:13 AM

Victims File Lawsuit Against the Netherlands
By Foreign News Desk, Istanbul
Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
zaman.com

Families of some of the victims massacred in Srebrenica on 11 July 1995 by Serbian forces will file a lawsuit against The Netherlands on the grounds that Dutch soldiers did not sufficiently protect their relatives who died.

In a statement issued to NOS TV Monday, a lawyer representing two Bosnian families, Liesbeth Zegveld told, "These people had the right to be protected," stressing that the Dutch soldiers from the United Nations (UN) Peace Keeping Forces held a key position in the region. One of the families filing a lawsuit is the family of electrician Rizo Mustafic who was commissioned by the Dutch troops. Mustafic was not evacuated along with the soldiers, was massacred along with 8,000 fellow Bosnians after the Serbians took control the city. The family of translator, Hasan Nuhanovic will also file a lawsuit. Nuhanovic was killed along with his family after he was not evacuated at the same time the Dutch soldiers were evacuated, the lawyer announced.

**imported_Sensei** · 02-11-2006, 01:13 PM

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http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/yds...1-11_1.yds.html

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MUJAHEDIN IN BOSNIA POSE TERRORIST THREAT TO EUROPE (by Sasa Dimitrijevic)

Muslim fundamentalists, mujahedin, have become a threat for the delivery of international humanitarian aid in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

British relief workers have abandoned some relief centres in towns and villages in Bosnia-Herzegovina because their lives have been threatened by "Allah's Warriors", Norwegian relief Worker Elza Varum has said.

Varum, who works at the office of a Norwegian humanitarian organization in the Muslim-held town of Zenica in Central Bosnia, has herself been threatened.

She has testified that she has seen at a Bosnian Muslim check point a mujahedin carrying three cut-off human heads, holding them by the hair. One was a man's, one a woman's and one a child's, Varum specified.

A local Muslim official contacted by Varum conceded that Muslims were having problems with the Mujahedin who were helping them fight the war against the local Serbs.

The Norwegian daily "Dagbladet" has described Bosnia-Herzegovina as a stronghold of Islamic terrorism. It has offered evidence to substantiate its view that Bosnia-Herzegovina is becoming an Islamic state and a bridge for getting Muslim terrorism to Europe.

The daily, which boasts the highest circulation in the country, has quoted a classified United Nations report about a growing threat of Muslim fundamentalism. According to the report, all chances are that the mujahedin will get out of control.

The report says that "Hizbollah", a Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist organization, is the "epicentre" of Muslim terrorism.

According to the document, "Allah's Warriors" are becoming increasingly powerful in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which they see as a base for the export of terrorism to Europe and the former Soviet Republics.

The report says that the goals of "Allah's Warriors" are the founding of an independent Islamic state in Europe, the turning of Bosnian Muslims into Muslim fundamentalists, and continued attacks against Islamic states which are not fundamentalist.

"Dagbladet" has drawn attention also to Iran's growing influence in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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