Nebojsa Malic

Nebojsa Malic left his home in Bosnia after the Dayton Accords and currently resides in the United States. During the Bosnian War he had exposure to diplomatic and media affairs in Sarajevo. As a historian who specializes in international relations and the Balkans, Malic has written numerous essays on the Kosovo War, Bosnia, and Serbian politics. His exclusive column for Antiwar.com debuted in November 2000.

The Black Hole of Nation-Building

Sarajevo and Bosnia are "rising from the ashes," proclaims a recent puff piece by AFP. After a horrible war that drove millions out of their homes and cost hundreds of thousands their lives, the yarn goes, Bosnia is finally bouncing back. Well, it isn’t. Bosnia’s economy continues to founder, its demoralized people continue to flee, … Continue reading “The Black Hole of Nation-Building”

Fresh Blood in Kosovo

Even as north-eastern United States clawed its way from a weekend blackout, and the UN mission in Iraq gasped in shock at Tuesday’s massacre at its Baghdad headquarters, the occupied Serbian province of Kosovo was once again in the headlines. A week ago, British historian Kate Hudson noted that the attack on Yugoslavia over Kosovo … Continue reading “Fresh Blood in Kosovo”

Empires and Balkans Don’t Mix

From riots in Basra to rumblings at home, it is becoming obvious that the half-witted "plan" to conquer Iraq is slowly smashing against the hard rock of reality. Unfortunately, evidence also indicates that Imperial leaders will not let something as irrelevant as reality disturb their march of power. In an effort to ex post facto … Continue reading “Empires and Balkans Don’t Mix”

The New Janissaries

This week, just as His Elevated Majesty was becoming increasingly testy about all the questioning of his feeble rationalizations for the Empire’s Middle Eastern adventure – which has turned quite sour for the troops on the ground – Washington received an unlikely morale booster. It was announced that during his late July visit to Washington, … Continue reading “The New Janissaries”

The Worthy Balkans Booklist

It would be deeply unfair to offer only a list of dreadful books about the Balkans Wars and not mention the other kind – the books that help the overall understanding of the region and the turmoil it has been undergoing for the past decade or so. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the number of good … Continue reading “The Worthy Balkans Booklist”

Worthless Words

Driven by the demand for information about the Balkans wars, a veritable mountain of books, pamphlets and papers have been produced over the course of the 1990s, purporting to explain and analyze tragedy of former Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, this quantity did not translate into anything resembling quality. Most of what’s been written about the fighting in … Continue reading “Worthless Words”

Liars, Halfwits, Inquisitors and Thieves

None of the events or statements that follow should come as a surprise. What is surprising is the lack of reaction by their victims, or those who unwittingly support the perpetrators. As with everything, the ongoing Balkans drama will have consequences yet impossible to foresee. Ancient Greeks used to say, "Whom gods would destroy, they … Continue reading “Liars, Halfwits, Inquisitors and Thieves”

The Serbian Lincoln?

Two weeks ago, reporting on the violent arrest of a retired Serbian army colonel on war crimes charges raised by the Hague Inquisition, Reuters and other news media referred to the 1991 conflict as the “Croatian war of independence.” That term, however, is false. Many defenders of Slobodan Milosevic see him as the Serbian Abraham … Continue reading “The Serbian Lincoln?”

Paragons of Empire

"Rare Bosnia Success Story, Thanks to U.S. Viceroy," blares the New York Times headline on a story celebrating Empire that appeared this Tuesday. It has to be read to be believed, but suffice to say that the author unflinchingly uses terms such as "viceroy," "proconsul" and even "colony" while arguing that a bit of occupation … Continue reading “Paragons of Empire”