Discuss genocide as it was experienced in the Balkans (Sarajevo, Essay

Discuss genocide as it was experienced in the Balkans (Sarajevo, Bosnia, Kosovo), drawing on the readings in Jones Drakulics S A Novel About the Balkans the - Essay Example According to Carl K. Slavic, there are other external factors that fuelled the genocide in Bosnia. These are; public relations firms, the US media, &the US state department. Slavic points out that the ethnic, political and religious conflicts in Bosnia were caused by exclusive national and political agendas of different Bosnia factions: Bosnia Serbs, Bosnia Muslim and Bosnia Croats; all speaking the same language but divided by religion, culture and national visions. (Sells, 1996.) The Bosnia Muslims sought to be detached from Yugoslavia but maintain borders and political structures as it existed in the Yugoslavia federation. Bosnia Serbs on the other hand saw the destruction of the Yugoslav federation would necessarily result to destruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The US and Germany advocated for unilateral and unconditional recognition of the internal borders of Yugoslavia. These different views were the major causes of the conflict and crisis. (Propadovic, 2003) Lack of diplomacy and political agreement resulted to," politics by other means" war. The US and Germany did nothing to prevent the war. This led to a very protracted hatred between the Serbs and the Bosnians Muslims. Drakulic in her novel refers to Seida's parents being a Muslim father and Serbian mother. This was as a result of a propaganda that was making rounds, insisting there were no Bosnians only Serbs and people of Islamic faith. (Askin, 1997) Even before the war, Bosnian Muslims had hired prominent American public relations firms as well as members of the congress and senate. So had the Kosovo Albanians and the Croats. An American P.R firm initiated the 'atrocities stories'. This was later to become very common in the war. Propaganda rent the air during the whole conflict. This fueled violence among the warring factions. A US PR firm actually admits having been retained by the Bosnia Muslims, Kosovo Albanians and Croats to wage a public relations war against the Serbs. This was referred to as info war. (Sells, 1996.) In fact it is reported that the three factions paid a total of $320,000 for six months of work, between June and September 1992, Rudder Finn firm organized various activities on behalf of the Bosnian Muslims . For example, 30 press group meetings were organized and 37 last minute faxes sent. It also organized meetings between various high ranking people on the government of the US including the then vice president and Bosnian Muslim representatives. Rudder Finn considered its greatest success in propaganda as having succeeded in moving the American Jewish opinion in favor of the Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Kosovo Albanians. Osama bin laden Mujahideen forces were also involved and were part of a Bosnian army. (Askin, 1997) The US state department, who were the overseers of the fall of the Soviet Union, wanted Yugoslavia to go the same way. The new Balkan states such as Bosnia and Herzegovina were equated with batalic states, though erroneously. By going this divide and rule way, the US would be able to state its command on the political, military and commercial interest in the Balkans. The state department's goal was to create a weak Bosnia Muslim ruled state. A Bosnia dependent on the US for security, development and political viability. A State that would represent America's interests in the region. This was to be achieved by