Some Thoughts on Summer

As June slides into July, like many people who have interests in the Balkans, specifically Bosnia, I start to eye the calender that trudges towards the enth anniversary in memory of the genocide at Srebrenica.

An acquaintance of mine recently wondered why I find it necessary to 'remind' my Bosnian friends of this horrible time in their lives by going by to visit with them, not so much through out the year but specifically around this time. I don't know..I had to churn that around in my mind for a while. What do I want? What do I want to know? Why do I want to be a witness to the pain?

Srebrenica the town in eastern Bosnia that was a supposed UN sanctioned 'Safe Area'  is now infamous for being Ratko Mladic's last murderous pit stop before Mr. Holbrook and company gave away the heart of Bosnia at Dayton in 1995, supposedly 'ending the war'.

A collective heartbroken sigh can be heard across the world as we watch the women of Srebrenica relive and rebury their loved ones each and every year.

What has changed for them now that the decrepit old man named Mladic has been transported to the Hague, awaiting trail & presumably justice?

What still needs to be done - by Serbia, by the International community is what is explored by a guest writer at Marko Hoare's website Greater Surbiton . In his guest post the Professor  writes what we all know must happen: "Serbia must now be called upon to denounce President Dodik’s rhetoric of genocide denial and secession and to fully support the reunification of Bosnia".

It's not enough to have captured and handed over (finally) the man, who is anyway, only the known face of what is 'many'. That surely should not be enough to win the EU prize for Serbia. The cancer at the heart of Bosnia needs to be exhumed along with the bones of the victims.There is much work still to be done.

Will this happen? When will it happen?

That is what I want to know when I visit my friends from Rogatica, from Zepa, from Tuzla on these hot summer days. No one has answers, just silent tears in coffee cups. And Mladic's arrest is just another droning flicker on the TV screen.

Etc

Ok, on to other things besides coffee. {I think we have established what will go on in that section of the blog. I drink coffee, my Bosnian heritage comes out of the closet, I have connections and insight from years of experience. And. I take pictures of coffee cups because they have symbols in them that are either
a) fun for gossip sessions amongst bored housewives who are looking for divertissment
b) an important social integration 'game' used to process subconscious stirrings in the mind, body and soul that need a healthy outlet and loving interpretation by supportive staff/friends/family
c) a way for clairvoyants to interpret their visions.}
Anyway you look at it, it is a theme in this blog that I hadn't really planned on...so pardon our mess while we figure out where we are going with the remainder of this instinctive rune that has turned up.

For the rest, not to be too politiky or anything, but Richard Holebrook died yesterday and his last words were 'got to get out of Afghanistan'. Nice exit Richard, thanks ...from the guy who brought us The Dayton Peace Accord (sic) and we all know how that's working out NYT. None the less, fierce man, great big personality, obviously incredibly intelligent and well endowed (you know, mentally). Observing him bend the will of others around the world will be missed.