A brief history of the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict

The collapse of communism in eastern Europe leads to an upsurge in nationalism in the Balkans in the early 1990s. After Croatia and Slovenia delcare their independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Bosnian Muslim leader Alija Izetbegovic calls a referendum on Bosnian independence in early 1992. More than 60 percent of Bosnians vote for independence, but Bosnian Serbs boycott the poll because they want to remain within Yugoslavia.

A piece of land slightly smaller than Connecticut

[located west of Romania - west of Russia]

Most ethnic Albanians are Muslims, descendants of Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians who converted to Islam during the rule of Ottoman Turkish rule.

The birth of the Ottoman Empire itself, can be traced to 1453 when Muslim leader Mehmed II Khan Gazi captured Constantinople from the ruling Byzantine Christians. Constantinople was renamed Istanbul, located in the far north-west region of Turkey. [Constantinople, a former European city and Capitol of the entire Roman Empire beginning in 330 ad, combined Roman political tradition, Hellenic culture, and Christian beliefs. Greek was the prevalent language, but Latin long continued in official use.]

The reign of the Ottoman empire [Named after it's first Sultan ruler - Osman], despite the success of its expansionist strategy and the influence which this culture [Islam] had upon a vast portion of the world, has been largely ignored by Western historians.  

The Bosnian parliament announces sovereignty of the republic [early 1992]. The ensuing conflict, with a death toll of more than 200,000 and some two million refugees, becomes Europe's bloodiest since World War II.

Croatians - Roman Catholic

in a battle for power] 

In April 1992 the European Community recognises Bosnia-Hercegovina. Rebel Serbs declare their own separate republic. The Bosnian Serbs, under Radovan Karadzic, lay siege to the capital Sarajevo and begin a policy of ``ethnic cleansing,'' forcing non-Serbs out of Serb areas. There is bitter fighting, atrocities, torture and rape.

The Dayton accords, signed in 1995 which went into affect April 2001, ruled that a five-year boundary dispute in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, should be settled in favor of the Muslim-Croat Federation. 

[How much influence did the Vatican have with the Clinton administration in bombing the Serbs?]

Luk 12:2 There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

The 1877-78 war with Russia and the Treaty of Berlin was when most of the Ottoman lands in Europe were lost and the European powers laid claim to spheres of influence in the Middle East.

The Young Turk Revolution(1908-09) drawn to a secular Ottoman pseudo-nationalism and some to Pan-Turkism, took up arms and fought successfully for their independence bringing to an end to the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 granted international recognition to the boundaries of the new Republic of Turkey.

Armenian Genocide was carried out by the 'Young Turk' government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916 (with subsidiaries to 1922-23). One and a half million Armenians were killed, out of a total of two and a half million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. [Armenia was split into Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia [an oil rich region]. Modern Armenia is located just north east of Turkey. A large part of the historical Armenian heartland, including Mt Ararat, now lies in Turkey]

2Ti 4:3 after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears

Luk 21:8 And he [Jesus] said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ [mediator]; and the time draweth near [the hour of judgment]: go ye not therefore after them.

The 'teachers' of this world have contributed MUCH to the bloodshed.

Also in April 1992, the United Nations votes to deploy 14,000 troops in ex-Yugoslavia, creating UNPROFOR, the UN Protection Force. In 1993 so-called UN ``safe havens'' for Bosnian Muslim civilians are created, to include Sarajevo, Gorazde and Srebrenica, and the UN sets up a war crimes courtin the Dutch capital to deal with atrocites being committed in the Balkans.[The Plain Truth? the U.N. sided with the Muslims] Srebrenica is overrun in July by the Bosnian Serb forces of Ratko Mladic. More than 7,000 [a disputed number] Bosnian Muslim men and boys are separated from their families and massacred, despite the presence of Dutch UN troops.

SEE} Albanian Muslims Chasing Serbs out their Villages

Kosovo Leaders Told to Confront 'Extremism'

After the fall of Srebenica and Zepa, another ``safe haven,'' NATO begins massive aerial bombardments of rebel positions, forcing the Serbs to negotiate.

After a meeting between Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia in Geneva, Belgrade recognizes Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Sarajevo recognizes the existence of a ``Serb Republic'' inside Bosnia-Hercegovina.

The Dayton peace accord is signed in Parisin December 1995. It creates two entities of roughly equal size, one for Bosnian Muslims and Croats, the other for Serbs.

An international peacekeeping force is deployed. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia begins work in the Hague in 1996.

Drazen Erdemovic, who took part in the Srebrenica massacres, is the first person to be convicted. He is sentenced to five years in prison. The trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic [facing a life sentence], who is charged with masterminding the bloody wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo during the 1990s, opened at the court in February 2002.

This fight is centuries old. Jhn 8:32 The truth shall make you free.

Rom 10:15 As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!