scotsboy
14-Mar-06, 16:14
I have watched with interest politicians, journalists and others line up to tear Slobodan Milošević to pieces for his part in the Balkan conflict. Let me state right here that I consider many of the actions of Serbia during the conflicts to be abhorrent, however I do not think the full picture is being painted and the reason could just be that the West is trying to wash its hands of its part in what occurred there.
At the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we were all anticipating the emancipation of those who had to live under communist regimes, freedom…..right? Democracy is good……right? (where have I heard that again recently??) Unfortunately the events which occurred in living memory for those in the Balkans, particularly the Serbs as a result of the murderous fascist regime of Ante Pavelic during the 2nd World War came back to the fore. The Croats who embraced and supported fascism and were responsible for the murder of up to a million (estimated) Jews, Serbs and Gypsies – some were offered the choice/chance to convert to Roman Catholicism but most were just murdered.
The independence of Slovenia and Croatia occurred without too much bloodshed, however the first country to officially recognize Croatia was Germany – this was seen (rightly or wrongly) as the perpetrators of horrendous crimes against the Serbian people being rewarded……and the rest is history, or revisionist history if you look at the way it is now being painted. The Serbs then tried to hold onto everything they could and all the old conflicts re-appeared.
The West did not foresee what would occur, they did not manage the transition at all – yet they want to blame everything on Milošević and his generals. It does not wash with me.
I would also hazard a guess that if the Kosovo situation occurred tomorrow the USA would react in a different manner, I am sure the KLA would not be getting their support……but that is a different matter…..or is it?
At the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we were all anticipating the emancipation of those who had to live under communist regimes, freedom…..right? Democracy is good……right? (where have I heard that again recently??) Unfortunately the events which occurred in living memory for those in the Balkans, particularly the Serbs as a result of the murderous fascist regime of Ante Pavelic during the 2nd World War came back to the fore. The Croats who embraced and supported fascism and were responsible for the murder of up to a million (estimated) Jews, Serbs and Gypsies – some were offered the choice/chance to convert to Roman Catholicism but most were just murdered.
The independence of Slovenia and Croatia occurred without too much bloodshed, however the first country to officially recognize Croatia was Germany – this was seen (rightly or wrongly) as the perpetrators of horrendous crimes against the Serbian people being rewarded……and the rest is history, or revisionist history if you look at the way it is now being painted. The Serbs then tried to hold onto everything they could and all the old conflicts re-appeared.
The West did not foresee what would occur, they did not manage the transition at all – yet they want to blame everything on Milošević and his generals. It does not wash with me.
I would also hazard a guess that if the Kosovo situation occurred tomorrow the USA would react in a different manner, I am sure the KLA would not be getting their support……but that is a different matter…..or is it?