Passing this along...

For several years, I have kept up with an organisation called the Friends of Bosnia, who disseminate information re: the crises that have erupted in the Balkans and advocate ways of preventing genocide within the area. I received this, ironically, right after I photocopied some Bosnian recipes for a neighbour/co-worker who is a refugee from Sarajevo. I would hate to see a fragile situation worsen due to political manoeuvres. So, I'm passing this along to those of you who may feel likewise.

URGENT ACTION ALERT
Please act immediately Thursday, June 27, 2002

The US is poised to end UN-authorized peacekeeping operations in Bosnia. Contact your members of Congress and the White House.

The Bush Administration will use their Security Council veto this Sunday to stop authorization of the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia unless US
soldiers and personnel are exempt from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which goes into effect July 1.

Call your members of Congress by Friday and ask that they contact the White House and demand that the US continue to support Balkan peacekeeping
operations regardless of the Administration¹s conflict with the ICC.
You can also contact the White House directly.

The first casualty if this goes into effect on Sunday would be an immediate end to the International Police Task Force (IPTF) in Bosnia. This is
an international body of police volunteers who observe and train the Bosnian police. More important though, this decision by the Administration
may cause the much larger and important force, SFOR, to fall apart. Some European nations, particularly Germany, only participate in SFOR because of
UN-authorization. The US is also threatening to pull all of its 8,000 troops out of the NATO-led missions in Kosovo and Bosnia.

As Bosnia and the Balkans are slowly but steadily recovering from a genocidal war, this decision by the US will only strengthen hard
liners who want to derail the peace process. It is important to separate politically the conflict over the ICC from this issue. While Friends of Bosnia
strongly supports the ICC, the important issue today is to communicate to the White House and Congress the importance of continuing our presence in the
Balkans.

The US has invested billions of dollars to forge a lasting peace in the region. If we were to scuttle the international forces there, it would put years of hard work and billions of dollars in immediate jeopardy.

To find your member of Congress:
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
To reach any member of Congress: (202) 224-3121
White House switchboard: 202-456-1414

For more information:
(These news links may only be active for 24 hours)
www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/27/bosnia.america/index.html
www.nytimes.com/2002/06/27/opinion/27THU4.html
________________________________________

Friends of Bosnia
85 Worcester St., #1
Boston, MA 02118
Tel: 617-424-6906
Fax: 617-424-6752
info@friendsofbosnia.org
http://www.friendsofbosnia.org