THREE ESSENTIAL FACTS ABOUT SREBRENICA's BACKGROUND

Srebrenica massacre survivor Zuhra Osmanović poses with a photo of her killed family.

We will never accept any type of moral relativism with respect to the siege and the fall of the Srebrenica enclave. Serbs were responsible for more than 90% of all war crimes in and around Srebrenica and eastern Bosnia and many of them died in the pursuit of "ethnic purity" within a newly envisioned "Greater Serbia." Those who support the Serb nationalist version of events around Srebrenica, also directly support the racism and silently advocate a new genocide. There are three adjudicated facts that must be taken into consideration when placing Srebrenica events into their proper context:

Fact I: More than three (3) years before the Srebrenica Genocide, Serb forces began persecution of a peaceful Bosniak population around Srebrenica.

According to the judgment of the International Criminal Tribunal in the case of Naser Oric,

"Between April 1992 and March 1993, Srebrenica town and the villages in the area held by Bosnian Muslims were constantly subjected to Serb military assaults, including artillery attacks, sniper fire, as well as occasional bombing from aircrafts. Each onslaught followed a similar pattern. Serb soldiers and paramilitaries surrounded a Bosnian Muslim village or hamlet, called upon the population to surrender their weapons, and then began with indiscriminate shelling and shooting. In most cases, they then entered the village or hamlet, expelled or killed the population, who offered no significant resistance, and destroyed their homes. During this period, Srebrenica was subjected to indiscriminate shelling from all directions on a daily basis. Potočari in particular was a daily target for Serb artillery and infantry because it was a sensitive point in the defence line around Srebrenica. Other Bosnian Muslim settlements were routinely attacked as well. All this resulted in a great number of refugees and casualties."(Oric, par.103)

"In comparison, it appears that the Bosnian Muslim side did not adequately prepare for the looming armed conflict. There were not even firearms to be found in the Bosnian Muslim villages, apart from some privately owned pistols and hunting rifles; a few light weapons were kept at the Srebrenica police station." (Oric, par.94)

Fact II: Resistance forces -- composed of persecuted Bosniaks in the besieged Srebrenica -- had moral and legal duty to defend the emaciated Bosniak population of Srebrenica from brutal Serb(ian) attacks on the enclave.

"Between June 1992 and March 1993, Bosnian Muslims raided a number of villages and hamlets inhabited by Bosnian Serbs, or from which Bosnian Muslims had formerly been expelled. One of the purposes of these actions was to acquire food, weapons, ammunition and military equipment. Bosnian Serb forces controlling the access roads were not allowing international humanitarian aid – most importantly, food and medicine – to reach Srebrenica. As a consequence, there was a constant and serious shortage of food causing starvation to peak in the winter of 1992/1993. Numerous people died or were in an extremely emaciated state due to malnutrition." (Oric, par.104)

"The fighting intensified in December 1992 and the beginning of January 1993, when Bosnian Muslims were attacked by Bosnian Serbs primarily from the direction of Kravica and Ježestica. In the early morning of the 7 January 1993, Orthodox Christmas day, Bosnian Muslims attacked Kravica, Ježestica and Šiljkovići. Convincing evidence suggests that the village guards were backed by the VRS [Bosnian Serb Army], and following the fighting in the summer of 1992, they received military support, including weapons and training. A considerable amount of weapons and ammunition was kept in Kravica and Šiljkovići. Moreover, there is evidence that besides the village guards, there was Serb and Bosnian Serb military presence in the area. The Trial Chamber is not satisfied that it can be attributed solely to Bosnian Muslims. The evidence is unclear as to the number of houses destroyed by Bosnian Muslims as opposed to those destroyed by Bosnian Serbs. In light of this uncertainty, the Trial Chamber concludes that the destruction of property in Kravica between 7 and 8 December 1992 does not fulfil the elements of wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages not justified by military necessity." (Oric, par.662,

Fact III: The Hague Tribunal's "Interactive Map" of cases, located on their web site, contains factual errors about events in/around Srebrenica. They are aware of the errors, but they  refused to address them (reason being: there is a number of Serbs working in the administration for the Tribunal OTP and this is their attempt to morally equate the two sides.)

Here is one example among many that can be found under the description of "Srebrenica":

NOT TRUE: “From May 1992 to February 1993 they ["Muslim forces"] burnt and destroyed Bosnian Serb villages in the municipality (Fakovići, Bjelovac, Kravica, Ježestica). “

TRUE: For the destruction of Kravica, Fakovići and Bjelovac, the judgment in Naser Orić case states that the prosecution failed to present convincing evidence that Bosniak forces were responsible for the destruction of these villages, because Serb forces in the area used artillery in the fighting; for instance, in villages of Fakovići and Bjelovac, Serbs even used the warplanes. 

The Tribunal also established that: (1) the aforementioned Serb villages were militarized, and (2) Serb forces, stationed in the aforementioned villages, were launching artillery and infantry attacks on nearby Bosniak villages. [Source: Naser Orić Trial Judgment, paragraphs: 103, 110, 112, 623, 625, 631, 637, 639, 641, 643-645, 649, 651-652, 658, 662, 664, 671, 674. ] (read the full analysis (Letter to the ICTY) by Daniel Toljaga]