Srebrenica revisited

[unixronin]

Der Spiegel discusses the failure of UN peacekeepers to prevent the Srebrenica atrocity.  Reading this, I can't help but think that the reason they failed is because they knew they had to all practical purposes been abandoned, and would not be supported if they attempted to make a stand.  Had they been, say, 370 US Marines, or 370 of the Aberdeen Regiment, or 370 Gurkhas, it's unthinkable that they would not have made a stand; and, had they been 370 US Marines, near-unthinkable that they would not have been supported in that stand -- and, if necessary, avenged -- by the full might of the US Sixth Fleet if needed.

But they were just 370 UN peacekeepers, left hanging out in the wind by the UN without support ... and as they blew in the wind, so blew 8,000 Bosnian Muslims.

Comments

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd take a job that called for carrying a weapon but not being able to use it.

-Ogre

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Nope, me neither. Sounds pretty much like the worst of all possible worlds. "You're on your own, you're outnumbered 20 to 1, and if they kill you, we'll wring our hands and eventually pass a motion to tell them we thought it wasn't very nice of them. Have a nice day."
If I'm going to be in harm's way, I'd better damn well have authority to return fire. Or I'll just return fire anyway, and y'all can argue about my damned authority afterwards. And if you put me in harms way, then don't back me up when the shooting starts, and I survive, I'll come looking for you later.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

That's another good point. Then again... well, these Dutch guys don't sound that tough. I mean, they took off their armor and gave it to the bad guys!

-Ogre

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

*nod* I can't help but think the Serbs had to be laughing at them. And I'd guess the guys who got told to take their uniforms off, got told as much to humiliate them as to make it easier rounding up Muslims.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

"With the helmet on, I'm a UN Peacekeeper. With the helmet off I'm just an angry American with a machine gun. You sure you want me to take it off?"

"Motherfucker, you've got a sword and I have a rifle, and you aren't Philipino, so you should probably back up."

(Various responses I might feel compelled to give in a similar situation.)

-Ogre

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

"With the helmet on, I'm a UN Peacekeeper. With the helmet off I'm just an angry American with a machine gun. You sure you want me to take it off?"

*grin* I like that. :)

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

i love that!

[shadowcat48li.livejournal.com]

gurkhas with khukris, bad guys with swords.... sounds like a fair fight to me, wait better send more bad guys

[shadowcat48li.livejournal.com]

on second thought, I was going to suggest Gary Owen for music along with the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

[joea64.livejournal.com]

Nitpick: Seventh Fleet is Pacific. For air support in the Med, call 1-800-SIXTHFLT.

Otherwise, dead on target.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Dang. I was thinking Sixth. Don't ask me why I typed Seventh .....

Corrected.

[smandal.livejournal.com]

Learn about UN impotence, the politics of international power, and commandos here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Outcomes).

Sickening stuff.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah.... I've heard of EO before. Competent people, frankly. This particular story just goes to reinforce the perception of the UN as a toothless, ineffectual debating club, paralyzed by its own multinationality, incapable of dealing with anything in a timely or competent manner, and with misplaced delusions (or ambitions) of being a world government.