Infighting stalls reforms in Bosnia

The only way for Bosnia to become and remain viable state is by co-operation between Federation and Republika Srpska. Dayton agreement can be changed but only by agreement between Republika Srpska and Federation. It cannot be changed or 'negotiated' in any other way whether in London or Washington, Moscow, Turkey, Iran or Saudi Arabia...Those who do not understand this are wasting their time and making necessary reconcilation impossible. Serbs were denied their constitutional right for self-determination while all the other nationalities and even minorities throughout of the former Yugoslavia were encouraged to declare independence from Yugoslavia. Serbs were considered to be Russia's tradinal ally and Western financial elites wanted to do as much damage to Serbs as possible while Russia was 'on her knees' following the collapse of Soviet Union. Russia is back, confident and stronger than ever. Mr Silajdzic should either tone down his rethoric or be removed from the office for provocations and meddling into internal affairs of Republika Srpska.

They made the Dayton, which happens to be an agreement out of which no country can exist in a normal way. So now they want to change it. Well, too bad. If they want to change it, then let R.S. be independent.

It's about time the Dayton is scrapped. As a peace agreement it was effective, but as a de facto constitution of a nation it is, to put it bluntly, crap. Bosnia can't function like a normal, healthy European country with two ethnically based (and indeed ethnically cleansed) entities. That much is clear. All honor to Silajdzic and his likes.

Lazar whatever Serbs in Republika Srpska think is in their national interest they have the right to go for it. As long as they are within their constitutional rights and rule of law. The same goes for the Bosnian Federation. Of course I may or may not agree what's in their best interest from time to time but they are a sovereign nation. Anyone who does not understand or does not want to understand this reality for whatever reason better think twice.

The EU should immediately admit all 7 CEFTA countries and then start talking about political issues.

Independent States-Nations already exist - Serbia and Croatia. The millenium old Bosnia has its right to remain what it has always been, a democratic multiethnic sovereign State, not a nationalistic ethnicly cleansed and artificially divided country. In order to be democratic, all kinds of segregations must be abolished, so not only RS should be abolished, but the Federation too. This is the only way to unblock the economical inhibition and political stagnation. Orthodox and catholics in Bosnia should stop call themselves Serbs and/or Croats, because even their neighbors -Serbia and/or Croatia- don't recognize them as such. What's wrong with being called Bosnian? - it has no religious connotation whatsoever and by the way , whether we're muslims, orthodox, catholic or jew in Bosnia, we all have the same identity, which is slightly different from our respective neighboring countries.

Peace and I hope people will wake up someday.

Bosnia will never be a unitary country without Republika Srpska if Serbs do not want it. The more they are provoked about it the faster they will make a decision to go their own way. Nobody can stop them. Nobody. Like all other nations and even minorities throughout the former Yugoslavia that expressed their will about their future. They cannot be outsmarted. Period.

Harris Silajdzic should receive a pension and let the people of Bosnia live, which includes all entities. Izetbegovic, Ganic and Silajdzic did not behave in good faith after the Dayton Peace Accord was signed. Media reports Ganic had continued foreign militant Islam relations; Izetbegovic gave a speech in 1996 after a military parade (you know, the military equipment that should have been melted or mothballed after Dayton was signed actually went on parade) stating the continuation of conquering all present day Bosnia; Silajdzic should admit that the Republic of Srpska was created to remain within the United Nations member state Yugoslavia but accepted the Dayton Peace Accord for the sake of peace on earth. If Bosnia’s Muslims can’t uphold The Dayton Accord, then they failed to show the EU that they can uphold EU principles. If legally elected Poplasen was relieved of duties then the same should happen to Silajdzic.

Bosnia cannot function and cannot stay divided as it is.
republika srpska cannot be called "srpska" since more than one nations live there, it cannot be called republic either since it is not.
A country that does not exist cannot have its military or its police since they're paramilitary organizations.
Why is this a question to be discussed at all???
Now they have removed the military of "srpska", what is the problem with the police...
Serbian criminals are walking freely on their streets and enjoying the status quo knowing that the police of "srpska" will never arrest them.
Since they all still leave in 1992 under nationalist gouvernment that is spreading hatred and ethnic divisions.
That would be same as if Italian community in NY had its own police...
It just does not make any sense...

Balkan don't need more countries. They need less. If parts of Kosovo becomes independent and joins with Albania, then Republika Srpska could become independent and join Serbia together with the serb populated areas of Kosovo.

I really don't understand what is so horrible about this idea.

"All honor to Silajdzic and his likes."

Silajdzic knew about and toured Bosnian Muslim concentration camps of Serbs - such as the Silo at Tarcin.

One of his Serb friends before the war, who was in the camp, told him about the abuse and asked if he would do something about it. Instead this Serb individual was beaten most severely after communicating with Silajdzic.

The Bosnian Muslim leadership, many of them, are war criminals. But the Hague is not too interested in those who committed crimes against Serbs.

«Silajdžić asked British diplomats to support the abolition of the Bosnian Serb Republic "because it was created through genocide.»

At last, a Serb who speaks his mind. He is absolutely right: RS was created through a genocide. This is a gruesome reality for all intelligent Serbs. I see there is a big difference between Serbs depending they live in Bosnia and Serbia. I am quite sure that Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims almost have the same culture and the same education.

I agree with Said, but the only difference to me is that i still consider myself a Yugoslav.

To hell with RS, FBiH, that country will never be the same again.

Silajdzic is the last unconstructed islamic nationalist in Bosnia he forgets that by ethnic origin he can only be Croat or Serb.His languade is serbo-croat not the American made Bosnian. Having been to both entities i as a european felt far more comfortable in the RS, moreover, how many serbs actually live in Sarajevo Mr Silajdzic which has become a Muslim city?.Bosnia as a state is wishful thinking you destroyed brotherhood and unity in 1992 and still will not accept the ensuing consequences, Where is the money you creamed off from the Pakistan government Mr Silajdzic?

It’s simply deplorable to see people here to hail the mini-para-stateof Republika Srpska, whose almost all “founding fathers” (Milosevic, Arkan, Mladic, Karadzic, and other bandits) are dead, imprisoned or on the run.

Said said everything:

“Orthodox and catholics in Bosnia should stop call themselves Serbs and/or Croats, because even their neighbors -Serbia and/or Croatia- don't recognize them as such. What's wrong with being called Bosnian? - it has no religious connotation whatsoever and by the way , whether we're muslims, orthodox, catholic or jew in Bosnia, we all have the same identity, which is slightly different from our respective neighboring countries.”

To continue this absurd segregation policies based on a supposed “ethnic” which is in fact only RELIGIOUS differences (all the people have the similar faces, surnames, speak Serbo-Croatian language and walked on the same streets until 1991 — and even intermarried!) will only lead Bosnia to eternal conflict, stagnation, apartheid, and war — sadly it would transform it in a kind of “Lebanon of Europe”, in which every political-religious leader wants dominance and no one can live in a state of peace and democracy.

Bosnia MUST be a *UNITARY*, SECULAR and DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY, in which religion is part only of the private life of the people. The official language should be the good old SERBO-CROATIAN, in Cyrillic or Latin alphabet, and people should not be classified, separated or discriminated on basis of religious affiliation. As it happens in the most democratic states of Europe, like France.

The Dayton Accord is not a eternal-rock-constitution. It’s just a badly-written piece of peace plan that should be scrapped, since Yugoslavia and Milosevic are both dead now. And if a country-wide referendum should be held today, certainly most of the people of Bosnia would opt to end Dayton Agreement, too.

Bosnia must be FREE!

RS Needs to exist to remind the world of the horrors that were committed by it's people and the Serbian gov't during the 1990's.

**RS was built on top of mass graves**.

And, as long as it exists, the world will always be reminded of the horrors that were committed there against people, only because they were non-serbs.

It is an important symbol, and must we never forget.

Sad.

"Silajdzic knew about and toured Bosnian Muslim concentration camps of Serbs - such as the Silo at Tarcin"

Aha, and I suppose you have credible sources for your claims? If so, please share them. If not, don't say anything at all. And you're not gaining any sympathy at all by claiming that the world is against Serbs, because the International community has bent over backwards for Serbs ever since Milosevic lost power.

Also, to all those that feel the need to bring up the "Islamist" card every time you read something related to Bosnia or Bosniaks; I would like to know in what respects RS is more "European" than the Federation. In the capital of RS, Banja Luka, the main mosque, (house of worship to 15% of the towns pre war population and a UNESCO heritage site) was burnt to the ground by religious nationalists. Sarajevans however, even after enduring the longest siege in modern military history by Serb forces, never touched even one of their churches. Today, an iron cross is to be erected in the middle of the city. When the Bosniak community made their first attempt to rebuild the Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka, Serb crowds gathered to pelt the Muslims with rocks. They set fire to their prayer rugs, threw the bricks of the rocks in the river Vrbas, and beat one Muslim man so badly that he died.(http://hrw.org/wr2k2/europe5.html)
Is this civilized and European?

Another issue that hardly attests to the "Europeanness" of RS as opposed to the Federation is the matter of homosexuality. As clearly shown by the bloody occurence at the Belgrade Gay Pride Parade, where homosexuals were attacked by Serbian nationalists, Balkanians are deeply conservative with regards to this issue. By emphasizing the Europeanness of RS, however, one would assume that the Serbs of Bosnia are more open minded and liberal than the Bosniaks, also regarding homosexuality. As this report shows; that is hardly true, seeing as it, among other things, states that an RS man fled to Sarajevo from RS fearing reprisals from his own community. (http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/section.php?id=5&detail=693) Why would a gay man choose the "Jihaddist capital of Europe" over European RS?

I could bring up a lot more, such as the killing of a Croatian Catholic returnee to Banja Luka by Serbs not too long ago, but I really dont have the time for that. I would just advice anyone curious about Islamist influences in Bosnia to come visit and see for themselves. I've lived in Sarajevo for two years as a freelance writer, and I, as a European woman, haven't felt uncomfortable once. It is a city of history, culture and, as we all saw in the nineties, bravery.

Let’s clear something up here, Bosnia was a Serbian Kingdom before Turkish Islam invaded. Serbs are the indigenous population. Parts of the Bosnian Serb kingdom are in present day Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia. Serbs are a minority in Bosnia because of genocides and forced religious conversions.

I speak from experience. I do not need foreign interpreters, reporters or officials to tell me what I saw and lived before, during and after the civil-turned-international-war in Bosnia. The Serb Republic (Republic of Srpska) has a lot to be proud of, which it does not take pride in because their culture is their way of life and therefore their hospitality is not politicized like it would be in Western political nations. I’ll give you an example:

WORK FOR WELFARE
Work for welfare started in the Serb Republic during the war in Bosnia but only after VRS (Vojska Republika Srpska), the Serb Republic Army, was fully formed. This allowed Slavic Muslim men who did not join Islamic forces, or at least not guilty of war crimes, to work and continue to live where they were born in Bosnia. They received a safe free ride to and from work as well. Canada’s Province of Ontario implemented Work for Welfare with their newly elected premier, Mike Harris, in 1995. To my knowledge the Work for Welfare came to a stop either because of the after effects of genocide against Serbs in Croatia or because of the peace accord. While Work for Welfare existed it was functioning well considering the 1992-95 international sanctions as well as Serbia and/or Yugoslavia’s sanctions on the Serb Republic in 1994.

If the two entities of Bosnia are functioning without violence then let it continue. If Bosnian Muslims want a federal police service then they should offer to create one without abolishing the city, municipal and Serb Republic police departments.

The only benefit of Yugoslavia breaking up is the fact that criminals can no longer live in one republic and commit crimes in another without a passport and border crossings. Inter-republic crimes should have been a priority of Yugoslavia’s justice pillar, regardless of the political system.

"I am quite sure that Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims almost have the same culture and the same education."

Bosnian Muslims began calling themselves "Turks" from the time of conversion until the Austrian administration. They chose to distinguish themselves this way from Serbs for hundereds of years. The politics of Bosnia is essentially not religious but one of class struggle- with Bosniaks beleiving they have a right to rule the territory and use Christians as low level labourers.

Case in point- When the Austrians arrived, they found a feudal system of serfdom in which a minority of muslims owned 90% of the land. A familiar parallel for those in the West would be slavery in the United States. This is why Bosnian Serbs can never be ruled by Bosnian Muslims-ever.

Oh Lord, I am an American. However, if you give me a chance, I will offer a slightly skewed opinion of the situation, based on my living in Banja Luka back in 98. The locals that I lived with, with very few exceptions, regret the loss of Yugoslavia. The less nationalistic bull---- that is offered up by all of the various parties, the better. Come on, people, you have an awesome country, with natural beauty rivaling only New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest. You have some of the most intellegent young people, creative artists, and maybe the best damned meat in the world (cevapcici). Get your sh-- together, ignore the nationalists, and fu--ing join the 21st century. Then all you have to worry about is global warming, Wal Mart, and the EU requirement to ban homemade alcohol. Love you all in Banja Luka.

”To continue this absurd segregation policies based on a supposed “ethnic” which is in fact only RELIGIOUS differences (all the people have the similar faces, surnames, speak Serbo-Croatian language and walked on the same streets until 1991 — and even intermarried!) will only lead Bosnia to eternal conflict, stagnation, apartheid, and war — sadly it would transform it in a kind of “Lebanon of Europe”, in which every political-religious leader wants dominance and no one can live in a state of peace and democracy. (Brazilian Guy, Saturday, 9 June, 2007, 12:34)”

Brazilian Guy, you are so right! What we really should do is take it to its next logical conclusion, a reuniting of Yugoslavia itself, which really is in reality absolutely no different. At least just Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia. Let us all into the EU in one block all at once as a whole. That would solve a lot of problems. And you are right, I don’t think there’s a difference really between these “ethnicities”. We are all the same people, that is what is the most tragic of all. The truly ironic thing is, while its religion that separates us, we still worship the same God, so in the scheme of things, its not such a large difference.

Bosnia should be one civil sovereign state, not divided, annexed or influened by Croatia or Serbia. Bosnians should handle its own destiny, and get away from the churches that only spread hatred for anyone outside their religion.

People should stop trying to create “little serbias” and “little croatias” inside Bosnia.

And it’s a complete absurd to kill muslim children and rape muslim women because of things that happened in the Middle Ages! Ad come on, not all the people were forced to embrace Islam — many made because they wanted it. So, try to not see the Bosnian Muslims as “turci”, because most of them don’t use moustaches or turbans, doesn’t speak Turnish, and never had been in Turkey!

The only way for Bosnia to become and remain viable state is by co-operation between Federation and Republika Srpska. Dayton agreement can be changed but only by agreement between Republika Srpska and Federation. It cannot be changed or 'negotiated' in any other way whether in London or Washington, Moscow, Turkey, Iran or Saudi Arabia...Those who do not understand this are wasting their time and making necessary reconcilation impossible. Serbs were denied their constitutional right for self-determination while all the other nationalities and even minorities throughout of the former Yugoslavia were encouraged to declare independence from Yugoslavia. Serbs were considered to be Russia's tradinal ally and Western financial elites wanted to do as much damage to Serbs as possible while Russia was 'on her knees' following the collapse of Soviet Union. Russia is back, confident and stronger than ever. Mr Silajdzic should either tone down his rethoric or be removed from the office for provocations and meddling into internal affairs of Republika Srpska.

They made the Dayton, which happens to be an agreement out of which no country can exist in a normal way. So now they want to change it. Well, too bad. If they want to change it, then let R.S. be independent.

It's about time the Dayton is scrapped. As a peace agreement it was effective, but as a de facto constitution of a nation it is, to put it bluntly, crap. Bosnia can't function like a normal, healthy European country with two ethnically based (and indeed ethnically cleansed) entities. That much is clear. All honor to Silajdzic and his likes.

Lazar whatever Serbs in Republika Srpska think is in their national interest they have the right to go for it. As long as they are within their constitutional rights and rule of law. The same goes for the Bosnian Federation. Of course I may or may not agree what's in their best interest from time to time but they are a sovereign nation. Anyone who does not understand or does not want to understand this reality for whatever reason better think twice.

The EU should immediately admit all 7 CEFTA countries and then start talking about political issues.

Independent States-Nations already exist - Serbia and Croatia. The millenium old Bosnia has its right to remain what it has always been, a democratic multiethnic sovereign State, not a nationalistic ethnicly cleansed and artificially divided country. In order to be democratic, all kinds of segregations must be abolished, so not only RS should be abolished, but the Federation too. This is the only way to unblock the economical inhibition and political stagnation. Orthodox and catholics in Bosnia should stop call themselves Serbs and/or Croats, because even their neighbors -Serbia and/or Croatia- don't recognize them as such. What's wrong with being called Bosnian? - it has no religious connotation whatsoever and by the way , whether we're muslims, orthodox, catholic or jew in Bosnia, we all have the same identity, which is slightly different from our respective neighboring countries.

Peace and I hope people will wake up someday.

Bosnia will never be a unitary country without Republika Srpska if Serbs do not want it. The more they are provoked about it the faster they will make a decision to go their own way. Nobody can stop them. Nobody. Like all other nations and even minorities throughout the former Yugoslavia that expressed their will about their future. They cannot be outsmarted. Period.

Harris Silajdzic should receive a pension and let the people of Bosnia live, which includes all entities. Izetbegovic, Ganic and Silajdzic did not behave in good faith after the Dayton Peace Accord was signed. Media reports Ganic had continued foreign militant Islam relations; Izetbegovic gave a speech in 1996 after a military parade (you know, the military equipment that should have been melted or mothballed after Dayton was signed actually went on parade) stating the continuation of conquering all present day Bosnia; Silajdzic should admit that the Republic of Srpska was created to remain within the United Nations member state Yugoslavia but accepted the Dayton Peace Accord for the sake of peace on earth. If Bosnia’s Muslims can’t uphold The Dayton Accord, then they failed to show the EU that they can uphold EU principles. If legally elected Poplasen was relieved of duties then the same should happen to Silajdzic.

Bosnia cannot function and cannot stay divided as it is.
republika srpska cannot be called "srpska" since more than one nations live there, it cannot be called republic either since it is not.
A country that does not exist cannot have its military or its police since they're paramilitary organizations.
Why is this a question to be discussed at all???
Now they have removed the military of "srpska", what is the problem with the police...
Serbian criminals are walking freely on their streets and enjoying the status quo knowing that the police of "srpska" will never arrest them.
Since they all still leave in 1992 under nationalist gouvernment that is spreading hatred and ethnic divisions.
That would be same as if Italian community in NY had its own police...
It just does not make any sense...

Balkan don't need more countries. They need less. If parts of Kosovo becomes independent and joins with Albania, then Republika Srpska could become independent and join Serbia together with the serb populated areas of Kosovo.

I really don't understand what is so horrible about this idea.

"All honor to Silajdzic and his likes."

Silajdzic knew about and toured Bosnian Muslim concentration camps of Serbs - such as the Silo at Tarcin.

One of his Serb friends before the war, who was in the camp, told him about the abuse and asked if he would do something about it. Instead this Serb individual was beaten most severely after communicating with Silajdzic.

The Bosnian Muslim leadership, many of them, are war criminals. But the Hague is not too interested in those who committed crimes against Serbs.

«Silajdžić asked British diplomats to support the abolition of the Bosnian Serb Republic "because it was created through genocide.»

At last, a Serb who speaks his mind. He is absolutely right: RS was created through a genocide. This is a gruesome reality for all intelligent Serbs. I see there is a big difference between Serbs depending they live in Bosnia and Serbia. I am quite sure that Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims almost have the same culture and the same education.

I agree with Said, but the only difference to me is that i still consider myself a Yugoslav.

To hell with RS, FBiH, that country will never be the same again.

Silajdzic is the last unconstructed islamic nationalist in Bosnia he forgets that by ethnic origin he can only be Croat or Serb.His languade is serbo-croat not the American made Bosnian. Having been to both entities i as a european felt far more comfortable in the RS, moreover, how many serbs actually live in Sarajevo Mr Silajdzic which has become a Muslim city?.Bosnia as a state is wishful thinking you destroyed brotherhood and unity in 1992 and still will not accept the ensuing consequences, Where is the money you creamed off from the Pakistan government Mr Silajdzic?

It’s simply deplorable to see people here to hail the mini-para-stateof Republika Srpska, whose almost all “founding fathers” (Milosevic, Arkan, Mladic, Karadzic, and other bandits) are dead, imprisoned or on the run.

Said said everything:

“Orthodox and catholics in Bosnia should stop call themselves Serbs and/or Croats, because even their neighbors -Serbia and/or Croatia- don't recognize them as such. What's wrong with being called Bosnian? - it has no religious connotation whatsoever and by the way , whether we're muslims, orthodox, catholic or jew in Bosnia, we all have the same identity, which is slightly different from our respective neighboring countries.”

To continue this absurd segregation policies based on a supposed “ethnic” which is in fact only RELIGIOUS differences (all the people have the similar faces, surnames, speak Serbo-Croatian language and walked on the same streets until 1991 — and even intermarried!) will only lead Bosnia to eternal conflict, stagnation, apartheid, and war — sadly it would transform it in a kind of “Lebanon of Europe”, in which every political-religious leader wants dominance and no one can live in a state of peace and democracy.

Bosnia MUST be a *UNITARY*, SECULAR and DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY, in which religion is part only of the private life of the people. The official language should be the good old SERBO-CROATIAN, in Cyrillic or Latin alphabet, and people should not be classified, separated or discriminated on basis of religious affiliation. As it happens in the most democratic states of Europe, like France.

The Dayton Accord is not a eternal-rock-constitution. It’s just a badly-written piece of peace plan that should be scrapped, since Yugoslavia and Milosevic are both dead now. And if a country-wide referendum should be held today, certainly most of the people of Bosnia would opt to end Dayton Agreement, too.

Bosnia must be FREE!

RS Needs to exist to remind the world of the horrors that were committed by it's people and the Serbian gov't during the 1990's.

**RS was built on top of mass graves**.

And, as long as it exists, the world will always be reminded of the horrors that were committed there against people, only because they were non-serbs.

It is an important symbol, and must we never forget.

Sad.

"Silajdzic knew about and toured Bosnian Muslim concentration camps of Serbs - such as the Silo at Tarcin"

Aha, and I suppose you have credible sources for your claims? If so, please share them. If not, don't say anything at all. And you're not gaining any sympathy at all by claiming that the world is against Serbs, because the International community has bent over backwards for Serbs ever since Milosevic lost power.

Also, to all those that feel the need to bring up the "Islamist" card every time you read something related to Bosnia or Bosniaks; I would like to know in what respects RS is more "European" than the Federation. In the capital of RS, Banja Luka, the main mosque, (house of worship to 15% of the towns pre war population and a UNESCO heritage site) was burnt to the ground by religious nationalists. Sarajevans however, even after enduring the longest siege in modern military history by Serb forces, never touched even one of their churches. Today, an iron cross is to be erected in the middle of the city. When the Bosniak community made their first attempt to rebuild the Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka, Serb crowds gathered to pelt the Muslims with rocks. They set fire to their prayer rugs, threw the bricks of the rocks in the river Vrbas, and beat one Muslim man so badly that he died.(http://hrw.org/wr2k2/europe5.html)
Is this civilized and European?

Another issue that hardly attests to the "Europeanness" of RS as opposed to the Federation is the matter of homosexuality. As clearly shown by the bloody occurence at the Belgrade Gay Pride Parade, where homosexuals were attacked by Serbian nationalists, Balkanians are deeply conservative with regards to this issue. By emphasizing the Europeanness of RS, however, one would assume that the Serbs of Bosnia are more open minded and liberal than the Bosniaks, also regarding homosexuality. As this report shows; that is hardly true, seeing as it, among other things, states that an RS man fled to Sarajevo from RS fearing reprisals from his own community. (http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/section.php?id=5&detail=693) Why would a gay man choose the "Jihaddist capital of Europe" over European RS?

I could bring up a lot more, such as the killing of a Croatian Catholic returnee to Banja Luka by Serbs not too long ago, but I really dont have the time for that. I would just advice anyone curious about Islamist influences in Bosnia to come visit and see for themselves. I've lived in Sarajevo for two years as a freelance writer, and I, as a European woman, haven't felt uncomfortable once. It is a city of history, culture and, as we all saw in the nineties, bravery.

Let’s clear something up here, Bosnia was a Serbian Kingdom before Turkish Islam invaded. Serbs are the indigenous population. Parts of the Bosnian Serb kingdom are in present day Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia. Serbs are a minority in Bosnia because of genocides and forced religious conversions.

I speak from experience. I do not need foreign interpreters, reporters or officials to tell me what I saw and lived before, during and after the civil-turned-international-war in Bosnia. The Serb Republic (Republic of Srpska) has a lot to be proud of, which it does not take pride in because their culture is their way of life and therefore their hospitality is not politicized like it would be in Western political nations. I’ll give you an example:

WORK FOR WELFARE
Work for welfare started in the Serb Republic during the war in Bosnia but only after VRS (Vojska Republika Srpska), the Serb Republic Army, was fully formed. This allowed Slavic Muslim men who did not join Islamic forces, or at least not guilty of war crimes, to work and continue to live where they were born in Bosnia. They received a safe free ride to and from work as well. Canada’s Province of Ontario implemented Work for Welfare with their newly elected premier, Mike Harris, in 1995. To my knowledge the Work for Welfare came to a stop either because of the after effects of genocide against Serbs in Croatia or because of the peace accord. While Work for Welfare existed it was functioning well considering the 1992-95 international sanctions as well as Serbia and/or Yugoslavia’s sanctions on the Serb Republic in 1994.

If the two entities of Bosnia are functioning without violence then let it continue. If Bosnian Muslims want a federal police service then they should offer to create one without abolishing the city, municipal and Serb Republic police departments.

The only benefit of Yugoslavia breaking up is the fact that criminals can no longer live in one republic and commit crimes in another without a passport and border crossings. Inter-republic crimes should have been a priority of Yugoslavia’s justice pillar, regardless of the political system.

"I am quite sure that Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims almost have the same culture and the same education."

Bosnian Muslims began calling themselves "Turks" from the time of conversion until the Austrian administration. They chose to distinguish themselves this way from Serbs for hundereds of years. The politics of Bosnia is essentially not religious but one of class struggle- with Bosniaks beleiving they have a right to rule the territory and use Christians as low level labourers.

Case in point- When the Austrians arrived, they found a feudal system of serfdom in which a minority of muslims owned 90% of the land. A familiar parallel for those in the West would be slavery in the United States. This is why Bosnian Serbs can never be ruled by Bosnian Muslims-ever.

Oh Lord, I am an American. However, if you give me a chance, I will offer a slightly skewed opinion of the situation, based on my living in Banja Luka back in 98. The locals that I lived with, with very few exceptions, regret the loss of Yugoslavia. The less nationalistic bull---- that is offered up by all of the various parties, the better. Come on, people, you have an awesome country, with natural beauty rivaling only New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest. You have some of the most intellegent young people, creative artists, and maybe the best damned meat in the world (cevapcici). Get your sh-- together, ignore the nationalists, and fu--ing join the 21st century. Then all you have to worry about is global warming, Wal Mart, and the EU requirement to ban homemade alcohol. Love you all in Banja Luka.

”To continue this absurd segregation policies based on a supposed “ethnic” which is in fact only RELIGIOUS differences (all the people have the similar faces, surnames, speak Serbo-Croatian language and walked on the same streets until 1991 — and even intermarried!) will only lead Bosnia to eternal conflict, stagnation, apartheid, and war — sadly it would transform it in a kind of “Lebanon of Europe”, in which every political-religious leader wants dominance and no one can live in a state of peace and democracy. (Brazilian Guy, Saturday, 9 June, 2007, 12:34)”

Brazilian Guy, you are so right! What we really should do is take it to its next logical conclusion, a reuniting of Yugoslavia itself, which really is in reality absolutely no different. At least just Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia. Let us all into the EU in one block all at once as a whole. That would solve a lot of problems. And you are right, I don’t think there’s a difference really between these “ethnicities”. We are all the same people, that is what is the most tragic of all. The truly ironic thing is, while its religion that separates us, we still worship the same God, so in the scheme of things, its not such a large difference.

Bosnia should be one civil sovereign state, not divided, annexed or influened by Croatia or Serbia. Bosnians should handle its own destiny, and get away from the churches that only spread hatred for anyone outside their religion.

People should stop trying to create “little serbias” and “little croatias” inside Bosnia.

And it’s a complete absurd to kill muslim children and rape muslim women because of things that happened in the Middle Ages! Ad come on, not all the people were forced to embrace Islam — many made because they wanted it. So, try to not see the Bosnian Muslims as “turci”, because most of them don’t use moustaches or turbans, doesn’t speak Turnish, and never had been in Turkey!