 He saves particuar bile for Silajdzic – whom he refers to simply as “Muslim” (which, he counts, must not be far from “Al Qaeda” in American mind), and for Russians, who get an F, for obstructionism of US meddling in what historically was their sphere of influence. |
There is a slim possibility that Hilary Clinton wins the Democratic primary, and then a chance of her winning the general elections and becoming the first woman president of the US – in which case Richard Holbroke might become her Secretary of State.
Just in case that happens, he started touting his horn already – presenting the agreement, that failed to produce a viable state in 12 years since it was signed, as a model for other crisis spots presently managed by the American forces around the world. The agreement in question is the Dayton Agreement of 1995 that cemented the ethnic division of Bosnia, and the territorial gains that warring parties realized by violence and ethnic cleansing.
Besides grading himself A to A+ (and everybody else – other NATO countries, Bosnian corrupt politicians, present day US Administration, Russians – gets a C, at best, from him in Bosnia), in the astonishing display of chutzpah, Holbroke claims that if there was not for Dayton agreement banning Al Qaeda operations in Bosnia, Al Qaeda would plan its September 11 action from Bosnia, not from Afghanistan (despite that 9/11 action was already well under way at the time of Dayton agreement).
He saves particuar bile for Silajdzic – whom he refers to simply as “Muslim” (which, he counts, must not be far from “Al Qaeda” in American mind), and for Russians, who get an F, for obstructionism of US meddling in what historically was their sphere of influence.
But guns went silent in Bosnia after people got exhausted from fighting and the resupply lines became weak. Dayton agreement came about at the same time, because the US waited for the right timing, so it can sell the end of the war in Bosnia as the US negotiating success. No major Al Qaeda figure resided in Bosnia.
In his view Bosnia is a “work in progress”, that, like its Balkan neighbors, has “no viable future except as a member of the European Union” – and Dayton was achieving precisely that: continuity of Bosnian dependence on being a part of a larger Empire (Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Yugoslav, NATO/US…).