One fact stands out in the mayhem of Bosnia: the utter cynicism of the imperialist West, which has maintained its arms embargo on ex-Yugoslavia, which in effect means an arms embargo against multi-ethnic What this means is that the Bosnian fighters have been outgunned by the Serbian Chetniks in the east, and the nationalist Croat HVO militia's in the south and west. And the result is horrific 'ethnic cleansing'.
Serbia has inherited all the massive weaponry of the Yugoslay army, and vast amounts have found their way into the hands of the semi-fascist Chetnik fighters. Croatia, with its big exile community in countries like the US, Canada and Australia, has found the means to buy large numbers of weapons.
The West is utterly complicit in the tragedies which have befallen Bosnia, both through the refusal to allow arms to the Bosnians and in the barriers erected to the admission of Bosnian refugees.
The USA, Britain and France determine their policy not on the basis of humanitarian interests. but on the basis of trying to stabilise the Balkans for capitalism. And their calculation has been that central to that is an eventual deal with the degenerate regime in Serbia.
The fundamental cause of this war is the Greater Serbia project of Milosevic and his sidekick Karadzic in Bosnia. The only just peace now will be one in which all the republics and provinces of ex-Yugoslavia have the right to self-determination. But Bosnia also has the right to self-determination. And that presupposes that the Bosnians have the right to defend themselves. It is not the cynical self-interest of the imperialists which will ensure that, but arms for the Bosnian resistance. Should we back 'humanitarian' intervention? p.13; Red Aid for Bosnia po The USA, Britain and France determine their policy not on the basis of humanitarian interests, but on the basis of trying to stabilise the Balkans for capitalism. REQUIRED Don't miss a single isue of Socialist Outlook! Subscribe today. sues) £15. 6 months (12 isues) £8. £11.
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