Sheri Fink - War Hospital

UNHCR internal communication March 24, 1993, from Albert Alain Peters, director UNHCR liaison office New York, to Kofi Annan with details of the aborted helicopter evacuation.

Transcript of radio communication with UNHCR Srebrenica March 24, 1993.

The events of the aborted evacuation are based partly on a video recording of the evacuation, shelling of the airfield and the scene inside Srebrenica Hospital on March 24, 1993, made by ABC journalist Tony Birtley, and partly on photographs taken by Philipp von Recklinghausen.

PAGES 147–148 “In brief… ” U.N. document S/25457, “Letter dated 22 March 1993 from the Secretary General addressed to the President of the Security Council.” March 22, 1993.

PAGES 148–149 The day after Eric returns to Belgrade… Letter to Mrs. Joanne Edwards, senior project officer of the Soros Humanitarian Fund, office of the charge de mission for Bosnia-Herzegovina, sent to her attention at UNHCR Zagreb. From Dr. Alain Devaux (program responsable) and Anne Simon (task force ex-Yu) on behalf of MSF task force ex-Yugoslavia faxed from MSF office in Brussels, Belgium. March 15, 1993. “Soros-funding budget revision,” MSF reference TFY 170. Original in English. Activities had not yet acquired funding, but MSF received $1 million on December 18, 1992, as part of a larger Soros grant to UNHCR.

PAGE 149 However, Eric finds the attitude… Internal UNHCR report entitled “Urgent Negotiation Items and Strategy—Suggestions” sent by UNHCR Belgrade head Judith Kumin to UNHCR Zagreb and Geneva and copied to the other UNHCRs in Bosnia. She says that Larry Hollingworth is reporting that Srebrenica is under heavy attack with multiple rockets, some landing near him at PTT. She writes: “Strongest possible pressure needs to be placed on the Bosnian Serbs for unconditional and regular access to Srebrenica. However, with latest attack on Srebrenica, this seems overtaken by events.” And later: “Given the latest development in Srebrenica, we strongly believe that it is too late to prevent Srebrenica from falling. We feel that we should now take our fall back position, i.e., to negotiate for the safe passage of civilian population from Srebrenica towards west to Tuzla. This would include negotiations with both Bosnian government and Serbian sides. All available resources, including UNPROFOR, ICRC and others, should be mobilized to guarantee the safe passage.”

PAGE 153 The next day… Annan later became U.N. Secretary-General.

PAGE 157 “John.” The name of the guard has been changed to protect his privacy.

PAGE 159 Fear engulfs Srebrenica. The injured in fact arrive safely in Bosnian government-held territory and are transferred to a hospital in Tuzla.

PAGE 160 The next day, General Morillon and the UNHCR Belgrade team… This meeting is described in an internal cable to Kofi Annan from General Wahlgren on March 25, 1993. Wahlgren was not at the meeting.

Tony Birtley, Muriel Cornelis, Dr. Eric Dachy, Dr. Martin De Smet, Laurens Jolles, Hakija Meholjić, Dr. Nedret Mujkanović, Dr. Thierry Pontus, Philipp von Recklinghausen, Hans Ulens, Dr. Piet Willems

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, January 22, 1993 (“Serbs bomb Bosnian city despite pact,” news services); The Herald (Glasgow), January 22, 1993 (“Muslims claim advances in Bosnian battles,” by Joel Brand); The Independent, April 8, 1993 (“Morillon takes road back to besieged town,” by Marcus Tanner); The New York Times, March 30, 1993 (“Thousands jam U.N. trucks to flee Bosnian town,” by Chuck Sudetic), April 1, 1993 (article by Chuck Sudetic), April 16, 1993 (“Bosnia yielding town to Serbs, U.N. Aides Say,” by John F. Burns); The Times (London) , March 30, 1993 (“UN rescues 2,000 refugees from Srebrenica,” by Joel Brand).

Report of the Secretary-General Pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 53/35 (1998), “UN Srebrenica Report,” (hereafter referred to as “UN Srebrenica Report”), Section 40 describes overcrowding and death on UN convoys. Unpublished internal UNHCR report by Laurens Jolles, “Confidential report on fifth convoy to Srebrenica and evacuation to Tuzla 28–29 March, 1993.” The discussion over the adoption of Resolution 816 is detailed in United Nations Security Council document S/PV.3191, “Provisional Verbatim Record of the Three Thousand One Hundred and Ninety-First Meeting,” March 31, 1993. Diary of Philipp von Recklinghausen with details of April 3, 1993, incidents. Transcript of MSF interview with Dr. Martin De Smet in late 1995 conducted by Laurens de Barros-Duchêne. Unpublished internal UNHCR situation report by Louis Gentile April 13, 1993, describing the calm in Srebrenica between April 6–11.

Videotaped footage of events of April 3, 1993, by Tony Birtley. Photographs of Srebrenica taken by Philipp von Recklinghausen and MSF staff members.

PAGE 161 “Srebrenica is safe… ” The New York Times, “Food convoy arrives in Bosnian town,” by John F. Burns. March 29, 1993.

PAGE 163 “As time is running out… ” Ogata’s letter is included in U.N. document S/25519 “Letter dated 2 April, 1993 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council,” April 3, 1993.

PAGE 163 The Security Council responds… U.N. document S/25520 “Note by the President of the Security Council,” April 3, 1993.

PAGE 164 “We don’t even transport livestock that way… ” Statement made by Hazim šadić on March 29, 1993 quoted in the New York Times , “Thousands Jam U.N. Trucks to Flee Bosnian Town,” by Chuck Sudetic, March 30, 1993.

PAGE 165 The UNHCR special representative for the former Yugoslavia… “U.N. plans to evacuate 20,000 trapped Muslims,” John F. Burns, New York Times, April 6, 1993.

Dr. Ejub Alić, Dr. Sabit Begić, Muriel Cornelis, Dr. Eric Dachy, Dr. Fatima Dautbašić, Muhamed Duraković, Dr. Avdo Hasanović, Larry Hollingworth, Dr. Simon Mardel, Hakija Meholjić, Dr. Nedret Mujkanović, Dr. Ilijaz Pilav, Nijaz Salkić, Dr. Martin De Smet, Hans Ulens, Dr. Piet Willems

de Barros-Duchêne, Srebrenica, pp. 90–92; Holbrooke, To End a War, p. 56; Honig and Both, Srebrenica, p. 96; Mašić, Srebrenica, p. 63; The Los Angeles Times, April 14, 1993 (“U.N. officials outraged over Serb shelling of civilians; Balkans: Death toll in Srebrenica nears 60. Convoys evacuate almost 1,000 refugees,” By Carol J. Williams); The New York Times, April 14, 1993 (“Ending restraint, UN aides denounce Serbs for shellings,” by John F. Burns); Orić, Srebrenica, p. 193; Sudetic, Blood and Vengeance , pp. 202–207; The Times, April 16, 1993 (“Muslims stop evacuation until soldiers get help,” by Tim Judah and Dessa Trevisan).

Bosnian Army Second Corps document listing all wartime medical workers and information on doctors killed (title, date unknown) includes information on Dr. Hamdija Halilović’s death. Diary of a displaced person from Konjević Polje (requests anonymity). MSF unpublished documents: Radio reports made by MSF staff member Hans Ulens on April 12, 1993, transcribed by Muriel Cornelis. Unpublished final mission report of Dr. Norbert Scholtzen (MSF anesthesiologist) including a detailed listing of the injuries suffered by patients undergoing surgery after the April 12, 1993, attack. Transcript of MSF interview with Dr. Martin De Smet in late 1995 conducted by Laurens de Barros-Duchêne. Unpublished notes of the MSF Yugoslavia Task Force April 16, 1993. U.N. Srebrenica report Section 40 (describes UN convoys).