Book Review: `Slaughterhouse - Bosnia and the Failure of the West`

Published on The Socialist Party of Great Britain (http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb)
Book Review: 'Slaughterhouse - Bosnia and the Failure
of the West'
Labyrinth of lies and propaganda
Slaughterhouse: Bosnia and the Failure of the West, by David Rieff (Vintage £8.99)
Written by a journalist who has
worked almost continuously in Bosnia since the war began this recently published book gives
penetrating insights into a number of aspects of the Bosnian conflict, focusing primarily on the role
of the West.
One of the most persistent myths about the Yugoslav wars, especially that in Bosnia, is that they
were caused by "ancient hatreds", with Serbs, Croats and Muslims straining to get at each others
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throats for decades, but only able to do so when the collapse of Tito's federalism allowed them to
slip the leash. In actual fact the violence that occurred in Bosnia's ethnically mixed towns and
villages was deliberately stirred up by Serbian Nationalists, often by means of the most extreme
terror. Rieff describes the common method of placing a gun or knife in the hands of a Serb villager
and ordering him to kill a Muslim neighbour in front of other villagers. If he refused (and apparently
many did) he was shot on the spot and the process was repeated, A young Cetnik interviewed by
Rieff in Bosanka Krupa boasted that: "By the third house, they're shitting themselves and asking you
where you want the Muslim shot, and how many times." And yet this same youth goes on to tell Rieff
that before the war he had many Muslim friends, attempting to explain this by saying: "But I didn't
understand many things at that time." Apart from the young man's naïveté this shows clearly that
Bosnia was not torn apart by "ancient hatreds", but by a very modern nationalist poison that has left
thousands dead and thousands more traumatised and brutalised.
Anyone who wants to find their way out of the labyrinth of myths, lies, distortions and propaganda
peddled by western politicians and their lackeys in the media about what is happening in Bosnia; and
who wants a graphic illustration of just how hypocritical, duplicitous and cynical the capitalist great
powers are, even with regard to the international laws they themselves have made, would be well
advised to read this book. For those who wish to remain blind to the facts and dismiss this as just
another war between mutually aggressive neighbours with heroic western peacekeepers caught in
the middle, keep taking the tabloids.
Ian Simpson
Wednesday, 1 November 1995
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Source URL: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialiststandard/1990s/1995/no-1095-november-1995/book-review-slaughterhouse-bosnia-and-failure-we
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