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2004-01-08 Europe

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Posted by Steve White 2004-01-08 1:11:51 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Its debateable how many of the 150k who fled were forced to do so. Bur AP's got have its spin, otherwise whats the point of having it. They would just reprint press releases.

And I really wish they would get an atlas. Maps are really useful things. They find out that Croatia is not 'tiny' but a decent sized place by European standards, considerably bigger than Belgium and the Netherlands for example.

Posted by phil_b 2004-1-8 2:43:13 AM|| 2004-1-8 2:43:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I have to admit that it's refreshing to occasionally see a U.N. office closure that isn't related to running away from danger...

Posted by snellenr 2004-1-8 11:18:17 AM|| 2004-1-8 11:18:17 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Phil_b, I think the 150k figure is correct and may be low. When the Croats launched operation âSTORMâ they wanted to deny the Serbs bases from which to attack them. That had NO humanitarian motive involved with respect to the Bosian Muslims, this was a land grab. They areas that they âliberatedâ were mostly populated by Serbs and they are the ones that fled into Serbia and eventually resettled to Kosovo. These were people that lived in Slovonia and along the Dalmatian Coast (prime locations in the Balkans).
Note: the UN high commission on refugees did nothing more than make the âethnic cleansingâ more efficient and less bloody. So we basically have the same problem that we started with in the Balkans. Can this peace hold? Only time will tell.

Posted by Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-1-8 12:40:19 PM|| 2004-1-8 12:40:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Cyber Sarge - I don't doubt many were actively encouraged to leave, but I recall news reports at the time showing long columns fleeing before the advancing Croats, which precludes them being forced to flee (except by their own side).

My point was that journalists take a press release, add unsubstantiated spin and can't even get basic facts right.

Posted by phil_b 2004-1-8 2:26:30 PM|| 2004-1-8 2:26:30 PM|| Front Page Top

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