What made this genocide so much more memorable than any other genocide’s? Even though The Holocaust was one of the most tragic genocide’s and mass murdering time period, The Bosnia genocide was one of the “greatest failures in the west since 1930,” according to U.S. Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke. The Bosnia genocide was a conflict between three ethnic groups, The Serbs (Orthodox Christians), The Croats (Catholics) and the Muslims, which resulted in the genocide committed by the Serbs against the Muslims. Bosnia, a mostly Muslim country, only 32 percent were the Serbs made up the population. Sarajevo, the Bosnia capital, soon became known as the city where Serb snipers continually shot hopeless civilians in the streets, including 3,500 children. Muslims became outgunned; as Serbs gained ground they used the same techniques as the Nazis did in World War II. This included mass shootings, confinement of men and boys in concentration camps. They also sent them on buses and trains like Hitler did to the Jews during the Holocaust. They also terrorized Muslim families fleeing villages by using rape as a weapon towards woman and girls. These actions were later labeled as “ethnic cleansing.” Throughout 1993, confident that the United States and the European Community would not take military action, the Serbs kept freely committing the mass murders towards the Muslims. What made other people in this country finally realize what was happening during this horrific time period in Bosnia? On February 6, 1994 the genocide turned global as the world’s attention was faced toward Bosnia. The U.S. under Bill Clinton issued a challenge through the NATO demanding that the Serbs with draw their weapons from Sarajevo. The Serbs failed to stop attacking Muslim villages so the Safe Heavens were established by the U.N. The U.N. Peace keepers guarded six Muslim towns. The Serbs still didn’t stop they not only attacked the Muslims but also the peace keepers. NATO forces then launched air strikes on the Serbs ground positions. The U.N. peace keepers stood by as the Serbs slaughtered 8,000 men and boys between twelve and sixty. Finally, on August 30, 1995 The United States military led a massive NATO bombing campaign in response to the killings of the Muslims. The bombardment continued into October. At the end of 1995, over 200,000 Muslim civilians were murdered. More than 20,000 were missing and feared dead, while 2,000,000 were refuges. What a tragic outcome. Having the United States finally come and take charge of the crisis was a big help to the Muslims and Bosnia citizens. If the United States and the U.N. had not taken a stand many more people could have been killed or raped or sent to concentration camps. The Serbs would have done anything to kill the Muslim civilians. This is a terrible thought; because how can people like this be so mean to wipe out a whole ethnic race. It’s surprising to me that a group of people would want to hurt and kills others because they don’t like what they believe in or the color of their skin.
