Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo
August 2010 • Have taken it on the chin many times this year for U.S. foreign policy. Europeans especially have been quick to say how far America's standing in the world has fallen since the Iraq invasion. So it was with humility that I visited Sarajevo, victim of a long and brutal siege in the early '90s. For 1,335 days, Sarajevans fought for their survival using ingenuity, guts, and homemade weapons (courtesy of an arms embargo endorsed by western Europe). Now, as western Europeans clog the city streets to admire the multicultural heritage and take advantage of cheap hotel rates and restaurant prices, I'm keen to know where they were in 1994 when Sarajevo was fighting for its life. Acts of aggression should be condemned, but turning a blind eye to them begs the question of which/who is worse. So please, Europe, no more lectures about America's foreign policy failings until you can explain to me why you allowed 12,000 Sarajevans to be murdered in your own backyard.
