Fears of New Ethnic Conflict in Bosnia

From the New York Times:

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina -- Thirteen years after the United States
brokered the Dayton peace agreement to end the ferocious ethnic war in the
former Yugoslavia, fears are mounting that Bosnia, poor and divided, is again
teetering toward crisis.

On the surface, this haunted capital, its ancient mosques and Orthodox churches
still pocked by mortar fire, appears to be enjoying a renaissance. Young
professionals throng to stylish cafes and gleaming new shopping malls while the
muezzin heralds the morning prayer. The ghosts of Srebrenica linger -ecalling
the worst massacre in Europe since World War II - but Sarajevans prefer to talk
about President-elect Barack Obama or the global financial crisis.

Yet for the first time in years, talk of the prospect of another war is
creeping into conversations across the ethnic divide in Bosnia, a former
Yugoslav republic that the Dayton agreement divided into two entities, a
Muslim-Croat Federation and a Serb Republic.

Full Article

60 years on, Genocide Convention Still Prompts Debate

Sixty years ago, the UN adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This week, historians, lawyers and politicians discussed the convention's future at a conference in The Hague.

Faziagica Kula Mosque

Sarah and Jasmin write on the burning of a mosque in the village of Faziagica Kula in the RS on the first day of Bajram.

Bosnian Election Results (better late than never)

Better late than never; local election results from this fall.
I was most interested in seeing how Our Party would do in their first election.

But wait, there's more

At first I was going to publish a reminder about CNN's "Scream Bloody Murder" special, airing tomorrow, about those who speak out against genocide.
Particulary since that was one of the main motivations for starting this blog in the first place; but alas, I've been beaten to the punch (certainly not for the first time) but the Americans For Bosnia Blog. Which also has further information about the show.

But as the title says...

And while I'm sure no one's surprised, Samantha Power is back working for the Obama administration (if she ever really was let go in the first place); as part of the "agency review team" for the State Department.

EDIT: Power has a position with the transition, although as the linked article states, there is a strong possiblity that she will continue to have potentially substansive role in the incoming administration.

Mirsad Tokaca Article

An in-depth article on Mirsad Tokaca, of the RDC about the "Bosnia's Book of the Dead" project.

Direct Link to Article: http://www.rferl.org/Content/Bosnian_Researcher_Counts_The_Dead_And_Faces_Threats_For_His_Objectivity/1350799.html

Yes we can! (Make a Profit)

Since this Obamamania almost certainly won't last, I leave you with this:

Bosnia's oldest clothing company, Borac, has started making Obama suits and says they are selling well in the country and neighbouring Croatia.

"It's a line of top quality business suits, and naming it Obama was an obvious choice because the president-elect is clearly a very elegant man and one of a few who knows how to wear a suit," Borac manager Ahmet Curic told AFP.

Curic added that the company wanted to "pay respect" to the United States for giving the company funds to help restart production after Bosnia's 1992-1995 war. The US embassy in Sarajevo says it has no problem with the name.

A blog post where I don't talk about Krazy Karadzic and Maniac Mladic

In what should have been a story about the first major gay pride event in Sarajevo, has turned into a depressingly familiar story of a group of violent extremists (in this case some 70 Wahabbis) making complete asses of themselves, with some good old fashion violence thrown in for good measure. Although, I'm sure their signs had less misspellings that this one.


Besides the event itself and the courage of those who attended the event, another upside is the reaction of some NGOS who released this press release:

The tolerance of violence by a religious movement which has nothing to do with the (traditional) Islam in Bosnia and Herzegovina, raises the question of whether Bosnia and Herzegovina is an Islamic or a secular country and whether Serbs, Croats, Jews and others are allowed to organise their cultural events during the holy month of Ramadan,” said a statement by the non-government organisation, Front. It also called on the Islamic community to openly denounce the vandals.

Let's hope they do.

H/T: Americans for Bosnia Blog.

Screw This!

Ah, Screw this.

Suspension is over.


Although your praise and accolades are still expected.

Due to the economic crisis I am temporarily suspending my blog.

Dear readers:

Yes, I know this a major sacrifice on my part. But, until a deal is agreed upon, I cannot in good conscious blog. I know I'm making an enormous self-sacrifice (no *thank you!*); but in times like these-sacrifice is required.

I await your praise and accolaids...

Karadzic's Legacy

Sobering article from one of the best journalist on Bosnia.

Wow a new post!

Since its been over a month since my last posting-here is something new (or at least new to me).


Old Bosnian Postcards

A blog featuring a huge archive of old postcards from Bosnia, mostly dating from the Austrian-Hungarian period.

First Regional Truth Commission Runs Into Doubts

From Balkan Insight via justwatch-l.

NGOs mount bold initiative to form first regional truth commission
on war crimes, in spite of governments' indifference and scepticism
of experts

Catch up time

Of course by now everyone and their second cousin knows that Karadzic was successfully transferred to the Hague.

At his initial appearance, Karadzic noted that while he doesn't have a defense counsel, he does plan on defending himself with the help of an "invisible advisor."
As this Time Magazine article explains, representing oneself at the Hague has several tangible upsides for defendants.

Karadzic's new advisor(?)


And in related news...
Besides Karadzic's appearance, the other major news was the resurfacing of rumors that the U.S. government offered Karadzic immunity in exchange for staying out of public life, which the U.S. State Department denies (not exactly a shock there).
While as of yet, there is no "smoking gun." Evidence pointing to a deal has gained more and more support.
But, even without a specific deal, the extreme reluctance (to put in politely) of NATO forces to arrest alleged war criminals is well known by now.
For a good discussion on a possible deal, check out East Ethnia and Justwatch-l discussion group.


And on the subject of Karadzic's new home, an excellent two part article from Slate Magazine.

Paddy Ashdown: Bosnia on the edge again

Op-ed from Paddy Ashdown.

Radovan Redux

More details have emerged on Karadzic's secret life while on the run. Authorities are investigating whether Karadzic stole his assumed identity from a Sarajevo sniping victim. According to the victim's brother, Mladen Dabic:

"My brother was killed in 1993 by a sniper bullet when he went to collect humanitarian aid", Mladen Dabic said. "This is amazing, horrifying. My brother was running across a street and the sniper bullet came from the direction of Vrace." At the time, the Vrace neighbourhood was under the control of Serbs.

Meanwhile, as to what Dr. Dabic was doing for the past few months in Belgrade: He played the gusle at the Luda Kuca bar where

[t]he walls and bar of the Luda Kuca (the name means madhouse) are adorned with the Serb pantheon - Slobodan Milosevic, Vojislav Seselj, Ratko Mladic and of course, Radovan Karadzic - each one a nationalist hero.

As to where Dragan Dabic was heading that fateful night he was arrested, apprently he was heading on vaction.


As to the future: A good Q&A about a Karadzic trial from the NYT.

The Karadzic Arrest

No extradition date has been set yet.
While the fact that police apparently stumbled on Karadzic while they were attempting to locate Mladic has caused some to wonder if the "tragic hero" will be next to go.

And a concise summary of the possible ramifications of the Karadzic arrest.

The Hubris of Dr. Dubic

It ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. On a bus to be precise, there were no SWAT team like raids and thankfully no casualties; as one of the world's most wanted war criminals ended his thirteen year run from the law.

And for thirteen years there have been conflicting rumors on Radovan Karadzic's whereabouts. The oft reported rumor was that he disguised himself as a Serbian Orthodox monk, sheltered in monasteries along the Bosnian/Serbian border. It made sense, after all, the Serbian Orthodox Church, as an institution, was one of the key supporters and instruments in the rise of Serbian nationalism in the late 1980s. For the past few years there have been raids, "near misses" and growing rumors over whether or not a deal was made with Karadzic to allow him to escape arrest.

But in the end Karadzic was arrested not in countryside and not disguised as a monk, but in Belgrade and as a New Age doctor.
Reporters, Balkan experts and a host of people much more knowledgeable than I am about Karadzic have stressed his vanity and narcissism. But, few would probably wager a bet that Karadzic would not only hide in plain sight, but revel in his identity as a New Age healer-write articles, attend symposiums, even create his own website. Even his e-mail address (healingwound@dragandabic.com) smacks of incredible degree of narcissism and hubris.

The manner of his arrest, low key and almost anti-climatic is fitting. With Karadzic's own sense of grandeur, from declaring his poetry among the best ever written in the history of Serbian poetry, to declaring himself a self-styled "President"; most people would assume that if Karadzic was ever apprehended, it would be a scene out of a blockbuster movie.
In the end, the arrest turned out to be as banal as Karadzic himself.

The Art of Human Quantum Energy

One of Dragan "David" Dabic's many areas of expertise.

And since I'm not sure how much longer "Dabic's" website will remain online, here is the English language translation of his biography. Notice his e-mail account:


Dr. Dragan "David" Dabic was born some 60 years ago in a small Serbian village of Kovaci, near Kraljevo. As a young boy he liked to explore nearby forests and mountains, spending a lot of time on Kopaonik mountain where he tended to pick the omnipresent natural and potent medicinal herbs that grew there. As a young man he moved to Belgrade, and then on to Moscow where he graduated with a Psychiatry degree at the Moscow State University (Lomonosov). After Russia, Dr. Dabic travelled around India and Japan, after which he settled in China where he specialized in alternative medicine, with special emphasis on Chinese herbs. In mid 1990s Dr. Dabic returned back to mother Serbia for good.

Ever since, Dr. Dabic emerged as one of the most prominent experts in the field of alternative medicine, bioenergy, and macrobiotic diet in the whole of the Balkans, and is frequent guest on many forums, seminars and symposiums (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Sombor, Smederevo...) dedicated to these topics.

For panel invitations or private consultations Dr. Dragan Dabic can be reached at the following contact:

healingwounds @ dragandabic . com

Dr. K's Wild Ride

The Karadzic arrest is now a "top-story" on google. There are a number of articles on the arrest of Karadzic and various reactions; (now summarized in this handy guide) but not surprisingly, they are short on details of the actual arrest. Although I expect that to change over the next few days.


Rhetorical question: I wonder how long until the obligatory "free Radovan" website pops up?
No doubt it will contain the good doctor's poetry.

Note: Check East Ethnia for more details and updates from the Serbian press.