12.02.2007 - By George Hageman
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavian countries
began to divide along ethnic lines. Of the five states (Serbia and
Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia),
three of them began waging war:
Serbia (Orthodox Christians) under Slobodan MilosevicBosnia (Muslims) under Alija IzetbegovicCroatia (Roman Catholics) under Franjo Tudjman
Initially, both Croatia and Serbia desired to take land from Bosnia.
However, as the war progressed, Croatia took the side of Bosnia in
order to push Serbia out of the region. Ethnic cleansing (especially
by the Serbs) was commonplace, and it wasn't until Croatian
intervention (on the ground with Operation Storm) and NATO intervention
(in the air with Operation Deliberate Resolve) that the war slowed
down. Eventually, after a four-year long siege of Sarajevo (the
Bosnian capital), the Dayton Accords were signed.
However, the ethnic cleansing continued, most notably at Kosovo. After
another NATO intervention led by General Wesley Clark, peace was
restored again.
For more information, read:
My Life by Bill Clinton
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1280328.stm
http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/bosnia.htm
The Statesman's Yearbook 2006
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