Richard Holbrooke's World: Memories of a Newsweek Special Correspondent - A Quasibiblios by Myron D. Stokes

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Richard Holbrooke's World: Memories of
A Newsweek Special Correspondent

A Quasibiblios by Myron D. Stokes

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"It goes without saying it is impossible for the westerner to appropriately comprehend the
complexities associated with profound cultural and intra-cultural dynamics within a compressed
land area: These having evolved over centuries as a result of this region becoming a safe haven for
intellectuals, artists and those fleeing the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition, the 30 Years and
100 year religious wars - not to mention the hyper-nationalist pride harnessed under Yugoslavia's
Marshal Josip Broz Tito." ---

I did not know Richard Holbrooke, but I'm nevertheless convinced that
eventually I would have, given the fact of similar, though separate,
spheres of activity. And although I didn't realize it until years later, we
both made the decision to not accompany then Secretary of Commerce
Ron Brown on the trade mission flight to Croatia that resulted in his and
the deaths of 34 others.

Like Churchill, a man absolutely born for his times:
Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke: 1941-2010 Image:US
State Dept.

Out of a sense of psychological self-preservation, I had confined these and other events of 15 years ago
to the "dark places" of my mind, despite the fact this circumstance alone counts as pivotal to everything
that has happened in my career since.
Permit me to explain.
During the Balkans War of 1992-95 which primarily involved Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia following the
break-up of Yugoslovia, I was, thanks to former Detroit Bureau Chief Frank Washington, Chief of
Correspondents Ann McDaniel and Editor Maynard Parker, a special correspondent for Newsweek,
Newsweek Japan and Newsweek International covering the industrial (automotive, aerospace),
financial, medical and technological sectors along with investigative duties. The latter including the
Oklahoma City bombing cover story element "Three Strange Friends" within which I interterviewed
James Nichols on his farm in Decker, Michigan; "One Family's Nightmare", the murder of the Freeman
family in Pennsylvania by their neo-Nazi sons; the GM board revolt analysis "Another Pink Slip?" that
predicted to the day when former Chairman Bob Stempel would step down; a measured defense of
Edsel Ford II in "A Young Ford at The Wheel" and "The Shame of the City", covering the death of
Deletha Word after jumping off the Belle Isle bridge in Detroit to escape her attackers.
"Just as Safe at Any Speed" written with the Washington Bureau's Evan Thomas, helped to reverse the
extremely negative reporting surrounding GM's C/K pickup truck controversy. Additionally, I
contributed to an extensive analysis of the nation's blood supply "In Search of Safer Blood" (Geoffrey
Cowley, Sharon Begley, et al,) and a 6 month investigation, in collaboration with Melinda
Beck, leading to a cover story on the safety of America's airlines "How Safe is This Flight?"
I also had the privilege of being the only reporter to conduct an extensive interview with Rodney King
at the height of the LA Riots of 1992 (my brother Doug and I drove out during curfew) while sitting on
the hood of King's "magical" Hyundai Excel that managed to outrun, police claimed, a CHP 5.0L
Mustang.


Crash site of USAF T-43 carrying SECCOM Ron Brown, Dubrovnik in Velji Dol Image: AVSTOP.com and DoD

Back Story

Serbian Leader Slobodan Milosevic Image Spiegel.de:

My initial interactions with Brown had been the result of our global auto industry reportage with a
primary focus on dissecting the mechanics of Japan's export-oriented economy, and an artificially
contrived Yen/Dollar relationship wherein the manipulation of the Yen downward had created a clearly
unbalanced playing field favoring Japanese imports into the US.
A strategy, by the way, now only too well understood by China.


Ronald Harmon Brown Image U.S.Department of Commerce

Brown was of great assistance, along with GM's Chief Economist Mustafa Mohaterem and the Center
for Automotive Research's (CAR) Dr. David Cole (who would provide insights even if somewhere in
the up-north Michigan woods) in crafting the tone of the Newsweek Japan cover story in 1993 "The
Big Three Strike Back"; an analysis that would later garner for myself and Frank Washington the
coveted Detroit Press Club Foundation International Golden Wheel Award for Automotive Journalism.
From our first conversation, I was impressed with Brown and felt immediate kinship; not for the least
of reasons that he was an absolute doppelganger of my brother Barry.


Ron and his press secretary the beautiful, articulate, poised and flawlessly professional Carol Hamilton,
never failed to respond to requests for financial and trade policy data. More often than not, I'd get a
call saying "Mr. Brown is on the line, can you speak with him?" When connected, he'd usually say that
he was on his way to the airfield and we could talk until he arrived. Within those conversations, he
restated, reiterated and emphasized his intention to address the trade imbalance with Japan:
"Whenever we meet with Japan trade representatives," he said, "I 'hold their feet to the fire' as it were,
by reminding them the growing trade disparity is not acceptable."

A 1996 Los Angeles Times piece subsequent to plane
crash corroborated this position: "More important,
Brown and U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor
took an aggressive position in regard to Japan, arguing
that its markets were essentially closed to U.S. autos
and auto parts. The Clinton administration responded
with a threat in 1995 to put a 100% tariff on Japanese
luxury imports. A trade war was averted when Japan
agreed to take steps to buy more U.S.-made vehicles
and auto parts."

Illustration 1: Mickey Kantor during UCLA presentation Image:
In my view, the same stance must be taken with China.
UCLA.edu

A Fateful Meeting

I had conveyed a warning from our sources to Brown during a September 18,
1995, meeting at the Detroit Economic Club following his presentation, that it
was not safe for him to go Croatia; he invited me along anyway to prove
everything would be alright. Carol Hamilton had called earlier that day and
said "Ron wants to see you after the luncheon".
In my possession was a draft of the investigative piece that included our
data relative to the re-initialization of what was euphemistically called "ethnic cleansing" in the former
Yugoslavia, the provable assertion of collusion between the supposedly warring governments of Bosnia
and Serbia by their respective Presidents Alijah Izetbegovic and Slobodan Milosevic, the existence of a
"shadow" government created to divert up to 90 percent of the aid provided by Muslim countries for
Bosnian Muslims enduring the 44 month siege of Sarajevo to the government and paramilitaries of
Milosevic and Dr. Radovan Karadžić, his primary implementer of Serbia's genocidal strategies that
were outlined in a 1980 Serbian Academy of Sciences (renamed Serbian Academy of Sciences and Art
in 1986) document. It was said to be a mirror of Himmler and Goebbel's "Lebensraum" or living space
policies that instead of calling for the extermination of Jewish, Russian, Polish, et al, "untermenschen"
(sub-humans) it concluded in essence that "If these strategies (ethnic cleansing) are carried out, the
Bosnian Muslim will cease to exist".
The data also detailed the discovery and architecture of of a US-based financial network later
ostensibly determined as used to fund on-going and future terrorist operations inclusive of that
occurring on 9/11. (note: According to former Serbian paramilitary with whom I conversed months later, Osama Bin
Laden was sheltered in Serbia andBosnia following the 1993 World Trade Center attack, with full knowledge of Milosevic and
Izetbegovic)


I said to him "According to sources I trust, there are people who want you gone." He responded with "I
know there are people that would rather that I not occupy this office, (Brown's interactions with the
Vietnamese were being questioned at the time) but that's politics." "I don't mean they want you gone
from office, but gone from this earth", I said. "Well, if that is the case”, he replied, “then there's not
much I can do. If I responded to every threat I received, I couldn't be effective in this position."
"I understand fully, but that doesn't make the threat any less real," I recall saying, "and the words to me
were, 'it's not a good time for Brown to go to the Balkans on a trade mission, whenever it occurs'" (the
trip logistics were still being worked out at the time). At that point, he suggested that I go along, to
which I responded I would "check with my editors".
Part of me very much wanted to go (I had agreed to go to Sarajevo a few months
before without hesitation, although the family was not exactly thrilled with the idea)
and another part just could not ignore the warning conveyed.

A fitting tribute: Launch of the oceanic and atmospheric research vessel Ronald H. Brown Image: NOAA


President Bill Clinton and SECCOM Ron Brown in a happy moment Image: White House

I asked if he agreed with President Clinton's position -and by extension Richard Holbrooke's- one that,
in the views of several influential Bosnians, seemed bent on preventing them from defending
themselves, and in fact gave all indications of favoring Serbia. A sentiment, mind you, that exists to
this day as demonstrated by current input of elements within the tripartite presidency and influential
political parties moving the former Yugoslavia towards EU and NATO membership.
He said, "I absolutely agree with the President's position." As a result of that response, I chose not to
discuss the draft.


US AirForce T-43 of the type utilized by the DOC Based on Boeing 737 Image: US AirForce
Aftermath of Crash
"The Commander further advised that seasoned pilots who were familiar with
the weather aberrations common to the area where the plane went down, such
as the venturi effect of the mountains, canyons, valleys that regularly
converted 10 mph breezes from the Adriatic into 100 mph gale force winds,
gave them their full attention. In his view, the plane was led to its death..."
Having received word while in attendance at the New York Auto Show in April of 1996 (the
same day, coincidentally, a relative, Carl Stokes of Cleveland, died) of Brown's plane being lost
in a storm while on approach, I immediately asked Bosnian contacts, one of whom had a farm
about 80 miles away from the crash site, to get someone there. They established
communication with a Croat commander apparently first at the scene. He stated that "A
young Black woman" had survived crash, was assisted, walking, aboard a rescue helicopter,
but died en route to the air base.
He also said he had witnessed recovery of what appeared to be the Digital Flight Data
Recorder (DFDR) which the USAF asserted was not fitted to this particular aircraft. The
Commander further advised that seasoned pilots who were familiar with the weather
aberrations common to the area where the plane went down, such as the venturi effect of the
mountains, canyons, valleys that regularly converted 10 mph breezes from the Adriatic into
100 mph gale force winds, gave it their full attention. In his view, the plane was led to its
death, as they had every reason to abort given the prevailing conditions.
Further, meteorologists understand the multitude of weather anamolies that can exist
concomitantly in this area, inclusive of temperature and precipitation extremes just hundreds
of feet apart.


Illustration 2: Tourist explore the shops and cafes of Mostar via its bridge restored in 2005 Image: UNCHR

Sources

There was good reason to trust in the reliability of data conveyed by our sources, especially the
warning about Brown's Croatian trip.
Earlier that year, as the siege of Sarajevo continued, I had come into contact with members of the
National Congress of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and underground. Following a non-related
interview at the University of Detroit, I was subsequently, after several "determination of trust"
conversations, given information (note: People who were sources to the New York
Newsday's investigative reporter Roy Gutman, credited with initially uncovering Serbian "ethnic
cleansing" activities and concentration camps in 1992, were sources to us as well) that Milosevic fully
intended to re-implement EC no matter what the world thought.
The strategy that evolved was my traveling to Sarajevo to interview former Deputy Prime Minister of
Bosnia and current President of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) party Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija.
However, it was later decided he come to Michigan to take advantage of being in proximity to
Dearborn, the largest Muslim community outside of the Middle-East, for fund raising/economic
restoration activities. Also, a second home: He attended high school in Allen Park, a Detroit suburb.
Although I was looking forward to the Sarajevo trip, it was a dangerous undertaking, even as war zones
go. The city could be accessed even in the midst of the siege through an underground tunnel. Problem
was, it required either driving mountain roads at night without lights or in convoy due to the potential
of attack. In fact, not long after the time of my cancelled visit, an armored vehicle within a
convoy carrying Richard Holbrooke and his negotiating team to a meeting with Izetbegovic, plunged
off a mountain road killing 3 of the Envoys aboard and a French soldier. In his book To End a War, he
blamed the Serbs for their deaths, as they had denied them passage via a safer road. “Three years as a
civilian in Vietnam", he recalled, "had exposed me to occasional combat and its awful consequences,
but this was different, this was my team.”


Threat

Milosevic ostensibly learned of our change in plans, and we were advised that a hit team had been
dispatched to the US to assassinate Dr. Lagumdzija (the threat, real or hoax, could not be dismissed,
since it was widely believed he ordered the killing of several prominent Serb and Bosnian-
Muslim officials, and later was thought to have directed the 1999 murder of Slavko Ćuruvija, a
Serbian journalist and newspaper publisher) who had survived a previous attempt (grenade attack) on
May 22, 1993, although barely. And while recovering in Sarajevo's State Hospital, a sniper fired
into his room window missing by inches, primarily due to the visual distortion of orange tinted plastic
window coverings replacing glass blown out by constant shelling.
The framework of the story presented to the Newsweek editorial team for a possible investigative
piece, was in some instances quadruple sourced via on/off the record and deep background sources
owing to the sensitive nature of the matter as regards US and world efforts, led by Richard
Holbrooke, to broker a peace. It included:
The village of Srebenica, declared a UN safe-haven at the prompting of Dr. Lagumdzija in 1993, as the
first target and then surrounding enclaves. Every effort, it was said, would be made to cover the
attacker's tracks, and as the world found out to its horror in late September 1995, an estimated 9,000
men, boys and elderly were systematically exterminated in a way that brought the words "final
solution" to mind. All told, up to 300,000 (these numbers are disputed) people may have perished in
this second wave of EC; deaths along with the rapes of up to 20,000 women that, in my view, could
have been prevented given the knowledge we had.
On or about 10 June in a near-desperate effort to convince Newsweek editors of Milosevic's intent to re-
implement EC under the very noses of the world, the Bosnian military allowed me to convey the
approximate schedule of a counterattack to break the siege of Sarajevo. The agreement was if the
breakout occurred within the 10-day time frame given, it would serve as proof that our information
sources were valid, and we would go with the story. Bosnian Territorial Defense did indeed attempt the
breakout against encamped Serbian forces during the G-8 conference (June 15-17) that year, only to be
interfered with by the threatened insertion of 12,500 UN troops intended to prevent Bosnia's army from
overrunning Serb positions.
It was this strange response from the US State Department, NATO and UNPROFOR that completely
stunned the investigative team and our Bosnian colleagues. "Why would they want to stop us from
breaking the siege of our own city?" one asked incredulously. Additionally, there was resistance from
Rod Nordland in Newsweek's Belgrade Bureau to go with the story, and whose opinion,
understandably, carried considerable weight given the fact he was "on the ground".
Despite the promise to go forward with the investigative piece subsequent to the data provided being
proved correct, it was not carried out - much to my, and our Bosnian contacts, profound
disappointment.
I memo'd the editorial teams in London, NY, and Tokyo expressing my frustration saying: "The next time
you wonder how 1 million Armenians were slaughtered by the Turks in 1916 under the supposedly watchful eyes of a
civilized world, or how the New York Times ignored information from the American Red Cross and other sources in 1940
that death camps were in full operation and instead contacted Hitler's Chief Propaganda Minister Dr. Josef Goebbels to
verify; with the end result of 6 million Jews, 20 million Russians and millions of others were exterminated via these death
camps and the Nazi war machine; how 2 million Cambodians could be removed from existence by the Pol Pot and his
Khmer Rogue in 1975-76, or at least 400,000 Rwandans systematically murdered in 1994, you think about this decision.
People will die in Bosnia who did not have to."


Following this exchange, I decided to get data over to NBC's Tom Brokaw in the hope that the story
would not simply die. Brokaw, if you recall, famously called the Balkans "The Land of the Demons"
owing to the pace, ferocity and pure evil demonstrated within the conflict. Unfortunately I was unable
to connect with him.
In July, reports started coming in from refugees fleeing conflict areas that mass killings were taking
place, and these reports were being corroborated by the Red Cross among other humanitarian and
human rights organizations.

Additional Srebenica victims discovered in waste dump in 2010 Image: B-H News.com

Satellite images on 13 July purportedly showed the executions actually taking place, and images of
September 21-27 1995 revealed disturbed earth - possibly indicating mass graves - around Srebenica.
At the time, I was attending an automotive press program at the Palace of Auburn Hills and was alerted
to the news flash by fellow journalist Thom Cannell. Across the screen came images of backhoes
uncovering bodies, and I must tell you I emotionally lost it at that moment.


On 24 July, Newsweek's “So Much for the Vaunted 'Safe Areas'” provided, -albeit belatedly in view of
data in hand - chilling and in-depth reportage of the barbarity inflicted upon Bosnian-Muslim citizens
of Srebenica.
I don't recall whether Rod Nordland was directed or did so out of a sense of remorse, but
Newsweek crafted a moving multi-page section“Death of a Village” putting faces to names of
massacre victims in the town of Lehovici. A powerful narrative with photography to match, Nordland
received the National Press Club's Edwin Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.
I heard from Dr. Sendijarevic within hours of the discovery of the mass graves. He simply said, "I
know you tried and it's appreciated. You are always welcome in Bosnia..."
Adding to the discomfort of the day, it was conveyed that a message had been sent from
Milosevic seemingly directed at those who had been trying to prevent the massacre: "This is what
happens when you interfere with me."
It was years before I could sleep through the night...
A State of Collusion

Holbrooke walks with Milosevic during Dayton Peace
Accord discussions Image: DoS

Alijah Izetbegovic Image:Wikipedia

To this day many people, inclusive of those involved in the Dayton Peace Accord process, did not
understand that Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian-Muslim President Alijah Izetbegovic
were in a de facto state of collusion for at least two of several reasons:
1. Milosevic, according to sources, arranged for Izetbegovic's plane ticket home after his release from prison in
1988 after having been confined there since 1983 following his arrest and imprisonment by the Communist
government. He was accussed of seeking to establish an Islamic state allegedly called for in his book
"Islamska Deklaracija" (Islamic Declaration).
2. Izetbegovic fostered a strong departure from traditional Islamic doctrine as applied to sovereign governance.
He proffered in the above referenced book that (paraphrased) "if the Muslim did not dominate in a given
geographic locale, then those within that area cease to be Muslim, and therefore do not qualify for economic
assistance or protection." This view, verbally conveyed to close associates, explains why a multitude of
Bosnian-Muslim towns and enclaves were stripped, at the order of Izetbegovic, of their weapons or any means
to defend themselves, and as a consequence, they were left as lambs to the slaughter.


President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, President Alija Izetbegovic of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and President
Franjo Tudjman of the Republic of Croatia sign the Dayton Peace Accords. The Balkan Proximity Peace Talks were conducted at Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base November 1-21, 1995. The talks ended the conflict arising from the breakup of the Republic of Yugoslavia. The Dayton Accords paved the way
for the signing of the final ?General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina? on December 14 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (U.S.
Air Force/Staff Sgt. Brian Schlumbohm) Caption and Image: Department of Defense

It goes without saying it is impossible for the westerner to appropriately comprehend the complexities
associated with profound cultural and intra-cultural dynamics within a compressed land area: These
having evolved over the centuries as a result of this region becoming a safe haven for intellectuals,
artists and those fleeing the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition, the 30 Years and 100 year religious
wars - not to mention the hyper-nationalist pride harnessed under Yugoslavia's Marshal Josip Broz
Tito.

To bring this into sharper focus", said Dr. Sendijarevic who among others within
the National Congress of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, lent his knowledge,
expertise and connectivity within the Balkans at crucial points in time, "One must
appreciate the physical and cultural reality of this land's legendary tolerance of all
who came to her, as exemplified by a Mosque, a Synagogue, a Christian and an
Dr. Vahid Sendijarevic
Orthodox Church on one street corner within Sarajevo. To hear it often said by
Image:Troy Polymers westerners regarding the horrific times we had to endure during this war that 'So,
what? They've been killing each other for centuries.' Nothing is further from the truth."


Pivotal Role of 1992 Izetbegovic/Lagumdzija Kidnapping by JNA (Yugoslav Army) Soldiers and
Subsequent Dobrovoljacka Incident Under-appreciated in Crafting of Dayton Peace Accord
The four hours I spent with Dr. Lagumdzija revealed an
intensity of intellect and determination to accomplish the
objectives ahead . It was also very apparent that he was
looking beyond the current conflict for the simple reason that
our conversation, despite smatterings of discussion about
idiosyncrasies born of atypical Islamic ideologies espoused by
Izetbegovic and the incomprehensible ruthlessness of
Milosevic and Karadzic, focused on restoration of critical
infrastructure.
JNA vehicles in the aftermath of the Dobrovoljacka Street
"There should be no issues of communications out of hostage exchange incident 3 May 1992 Image: BTD
Sarajevo", Sendijarevic said during this same meeting, "when there exist Ph.D level specialists quite
capable of designing and maintaining an appropriate architecture".
There had been unexplained slowness of communications within Izetbegovic's government, and this
fact in and of itself impeded the peace process. Some observers felt it was deliberate.
Nazis?
"If you don't understand that Milosevic and Karadzic are avowed Nazis," (The existence of the
Himmler directed Muslim contingent, the Handzar or Scimitar, unit during WWII, acknowledged) said
one of the Bosnia Congress members present, "Then the mechanics of the peace accord will be based
on seriously flawed assumptions."
Examination of this conflict by current and future historians will conclude the assertion has merit. "In
many ways", says one historian colleague, "The siege of Sarajevo and the Balkans conflict at large can
be viewed as the last battle of World War II."
Also discussed was "The fatal flaw" in NATO and UNPROFOR (UN Protective Force) operational
procedure as they sought to restore societal balance within the conflict arena. "The reason Marshal
Josip Broz Tito was so successful in maintaining order" (as well as simultaneously neutralizing German
and Russian military activities during the second world war) said Dr. Sendijarevic at the time, was his
astute understanding of the multi-culturalism, the religious differences, the always just-below-the-
surface nationalism that could be tapped by those seeking power, and a terrain that was both bane and
blessing.
“This mountainous region rendered cities and other population concentrations readily defensible, but at
the same time easily cut off from re-supply or rescue if needed. Tito ordered all groups within the
former federation to contribute to the common defense, and further mandated that all cities must be
self-contained with an ability to produce and field heavy defensive weapons as well as feed its
citizenry.
"A modern version of the Greek City-State, if you will. Unfortunately, NATO troops are confiscating
the major weapons caches thus leaving the cities defenseless. As of right now, we know that plans are
afoot by Milosevic to relaunch his ethnic cleansing efforts, and if he is not stopped, many lives will be
needlessly lost."
At that point another person said, "Can you help us?" I responded, "We will do our best to the extent
media may be able to influence a given outcome."


Prof. Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija admonishing members at SDP rally Image: SDP

It was further asserted that the May 2, 1992 kidnapping of President Izetbegovic, his daughter Sabina
and then Prime Minister Lagumdzija following their return from the failed Lisbon peace
negotiations, was staged by the Bosnian leader to the extent he allowed himself to be captured, except
that Lagumdzija may not have been aware of it. "Izetbegovic and his daughter were never in any
danger", said one source, "but Dr. Lagumdzija, who strongly recommended that the president not land
at Sarajevo airport, is quite fortunate to be alive, as continuing attempts on his life subsequent
demonstrated." (note: In the interests of objective reporting, there are some Bosnians who believe Dr. Lagumdzija had full knowledge that the
Lisbon trip, with its ill-advised stop in Sarajevo following, was a cover for both a rescue mission of General Kukanjac and the capture of the city.)

It can be concluded with some degree of confidence, based on existing records and interviews,
including Radio Free Europe's discussions in March 2010 with retired Bosnian Territorial Defense
(BTD) general Jovan Divjak, (formerly of the JNA but joined the BTD in early 1992 and aided in the
defense of Sarajevo during the siege) that this high-level kidnapping, followed by the Dobrovoljacka
street (Sarajevo) incident on May 3,1992 in which several JNA soldiers were killed attempting a
hostage exchange involving the commander of the military district, General Kukanjac, for the return of
the kidnapped Izbetbegovic party, was deliberately crafted to set the stage and circumstances for a
"Trojan Horse" Serbian attack. Had they succeeded, some surmise, Sarajevo would have been under the
control of Milosevic that day.
According to Divjak, "Zlatko Lagumdzija... tried to persuade Izetbegovic not to land in Sarajevo but
rather in Split, Croatia, which was safer. Izetbegovic insisted that the Yugoslav Army had guaranteed
him a safe landing." ,


Still, there is reason to suspect that Holbrooke
was aware western assumptions and actvities in
pursuit of a Balkans peace were considered by
all sides of the conflict, especially the Bosnian-
Muslims, as overly simplistic, highly
prejudicial, unnecessarily dismissive and very
dangerous. "I never met anyone more
tenaciously committed to delivering on results
and negotiating and doing whatever had to be
done to achieve positive outcomes," said his
friend Steve Clemons hours after his death
during an interview with MSNBC's Rachel
UN APCs guard Sarajevo airport during Balkan war Image: NATO Maddow.

"And sometimes, people get lost in the methods and means, and thinking that has to be very moral and
right. And Richard didn't get lost there.”
Holbrooke, in addition to being, by all accounts, focused to a fault, incapable of suffering fools at all,
brusque, brash, courageous, and indefatigable, he was, above all else, loyal to those whom he reported.
Indeed, he went with the hand he was dealt for all it was worth, as evidenced by the Dayton peace
accord -however flawed- signed by all parties on December 14, 1995 in Paris.
Personal Impact

Land Rover PR Director Bill Baker overseeing
loading of Rovers bound for Kosovo relief camp
onto IL-76 airlifter Image: Land Rover

In the ensuing years, virtually every professional and personal career decision I've made was
influenced by the foregoing events.
Included was -at the urging of friend and colleague John Chuhran- the 1999 launch of eMOTION!
magazine, an automotive and aerospace industries research and analysis publication originally launched
in print and currently digital; assisting Decisive magazine publisher Randi Payton in the development
of On Wheels magazine in 1996, targeting an underserved yet extraordinarily influential market
segment; being supportive of a decision by Land Rover PR director Bill Baker and his team to ship,
via IL-76 cargo aircraft, 11 Rover vehicles for use by medical personnel at a refugee camp set up for
Kosovo conflict victims: A decision made after a planned overland trip that would have included media
colleague Sue Meade, was aborted following the near-fatal shooting of UN representative Daniel
Castro Mora during a route "recce" mission; an affirmative response to Eritrean government surrogates,
during a 3 day conference hosted in June of 1999 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that I approach


then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan with a request he intervene more forcefully in the on-going
Eritrean/Ethiopian conflict that at up to the time had cost the lives of over 100,000 people.
I mentioned to Chamber President Tom Donohue that I would be
speaking with the Secretary General (he was the keynote speaker at
dinner that evening) and then approached his chief of security. After
a brief introduction, Annan said "Walk with me". As we progressed
to his vehicle, I presented him with a signed copy of
eMOTION! magazine and then said "Mr. Annan, I have a message
from the presidents of Eritrea and Ethiopia through their surrogates
here; they ask that you increase your efforts to resolve this conflict,
and further request that you invite both of them to a neutral location
to accomplish. "I will indeed redouble our efforts", he said, "and
convey to them I will be in contact."
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan The presidents of both countries were brought together at the
Image: United Nations UN building in October 1999, resulting in a ceasefire.
There was also the decision to become involved with a public/private initiative with colleagues from
industry, government and academia designed to support US industrial base preservation activities such
as those undertaken by the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and
helping to bring together the intellectual resources to craft architecture for infrastructure of a new
industry, HeavyLift. An endeavor based on a commercial application of Boeing C-17 airlifters with the
intent to challenge Russian/Ukrainian dominance of this air cargo industry subset.
I've also had the the opportunity to work with the group of very
committed and capable people responsible for the founding of the
Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) and collaborative
NGOs such as the Hudson Institution and the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). By coincidence, some
of the people within these organizations have been directly
involved in the reconstitution, solidification, joint governance
and national defense processes for the former Federation of
Yugoslavia. And, for several years, thanks to National Defense
University Foundation board member Dr. Sheila Ronis, there's
been the privilege of participating in hosting the International Dr. Sheila Ronis prior to Boeing C-17 demonstration
flight Image: US AirForce
Fellows prior to their annual graduation.
Additionally, Dr. Ronis edited the recently released book "Project on National Security Reform Vision
Working Group Report and Scenarios" and was kind enough to acknowledge my research contributions
to that work.


Present Day

Illustration 3: Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija meets with President Bush; having met with then SECOS Rice
and Gen. Powell earlier Image: mfa.gov.ba

"Arguably, one could conclude that Holbrooke's legacy may be on the verge of
becoming undone if the current Balkans state of affairs is not re-examined with
urgency and specificity."---

As we speak, what may be perhaps the final chapter of a centuries-in-the-making human drama is
being written as the former Yugoslavia, governed by a tripartite presidency consisting of a Bosnian, a
Serb and a Croat, seeks membership in the EU and NATO.
These co-presidents are drawn from the two ruling parties, Milorad Dodik's Union of Independent
Social Democrats of the Serbian Republika Srpska and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Dr.
Lagumdzija, of the Muslim-Croat Federation.
Despite decades of efforts, the path to a lasting stability in the region that brought the Great War upon
an unsuspecting world in August 1914, remains fraught with obstacles and undeniable danger. To this
day, the legitimacy of Holbrooke's signature piece of diplomacy, the Dayton Peace Accord, is intensely
questioned, if not outright rejected, by not a few people who count, and Dr. Sendijarevic is among
them. He advocates a return to the pre-Srebenica genocide borders of Bosnia-Herzegovina and believes
anything less is unacceptable, which of course places him at odds with Dr. Lagumdzija.
"I dream," he said to me recently, "of having the opportunity to remind President Obama that there is
no single benefit to the US if he implements a precedent that the constitution and borders of one nation
can be changed by aggression and genocide."
Arguably, one could conclude that Holbrooke's legacy may be on the verge of becoming undone if the
current Balkans state of affairs is not re-examined with urgency and specificity.
Indeed, statesmanship and endgamesmanship tread a treacherous and fragile path in the Balkans, and
all too often, one that gives way with horrific results.
Cover image: Guardian UK


Epilogue
Slobodan Milosevic died in 2006 while awaiting trial in his cell at the Hague (he claimed he was being
poisoned, and there are some indications he may have been correct in that assumption) while Alijah
Izetbegovic (his son Bakir won election to the co-presidency in October) died in 2003. Croat President
Franjo Tudjman, who was not discussed prominently here but no less than a central player in the
Balkans conflict, died in 1999.
Former Serb Republic President Radovan Karadzic, captured after a decade of flight, is expected to be
convicted of war crimes -despite his insistence he was granted immunity by Holbrooke (new research
suggest this is true) if he withdrew from politics in 1996- as were two of the core Srebenica genocide
operatives, Ljubisa Beara and Vujadin Popovic, this past June. General Ratko Mladic, also designated
as a core participant in the Srebenica tragedy, is still at large.
The Hague judges left no doubt as to why the life sentences were imposed on
both in rulings that seemed torn out of the 1961 Adolph Eichmann trial
transcripts in Israel: "The scale and nature of the murder operation, with the
staggering number of killings, the systematic and organised manner in which it
was carried out, the targeting and relentless pursuit of the victims, and the plain
intention – apparent from the evidence – to eliminate every Bosnian Muslim
male who was captured or surrendered proves beyond reasonable doubt that
this was genocide.
"In the context of the war in the former Yugoslavia, and in the context of human
history, these events are arrestive in their scale and brutality [with] "the plain
intention to eliminate every Muslim male."
SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolph
Eichmann Image: Bettmann To
the victims of this conflict, to Ron Brown, Richard Holbrooke and all who
Archives
gave their lives in pursuit of closure to one of the darkest periods in the human
experience, we say, "Rest; your sacrifice and efforts are firmly ensconced in the annals of history..."
###
Publisher's note: The views and events discussed here are from the personal notes of the author and as such, except in
the presentation of provable data, are subjective in content while striving for objectivity. As Bob Woodward once said to
Wayne State University students in 1993, "Journalism, in my view, is the search for the version of the story closest to the
truth." Lastly, it is our hope that we've honored the memory of Newsweek Editor Maynard Parker who took the time to
convey his wording ways upon the new guy. We trust we have “[said] it better pls”...

eMOTION! REPORTS.com PublisherMyron D. Stokes presents
Ford Market executive Francisco Codina with 2006 Car of The
Year Award for Lincoln MK-Z Image: Ford


Editor's note: Every effort has been to give proper image credit. If we have improperly identified the image source,
please send a note to that effect and we will correct it. mstokes@emotionreports.com
Related links and references:
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=40796

http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19960403-0

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/14/richard-holbrooke-veteran-diplomat-dies

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:3h0h89wqJlsJ:www.newsweek.com/1995/07/23/so-much-for-the-vaunted-safe-areas.html+Srebrenica,
+Newsweek&cd=14&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Brown_(U.S._politician)

http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/documents/sdrpt8c.htm

http://www.ex-yupress.com/oslob/oslob18.html
http://www.rferl.org/content/What_Really_Happened_During_The_Dobrovoljacka_Attack/1977945.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/3-us-diplomats-killed-in-bosnia.html
http://republic-bosnia-herzegovina.com/?p=394
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unprofor.htm
http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/documents/sdrpt8c.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_plans_offered_before_and_during_the_Bosnian_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alija_Izetbegovi%C4%87
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/trials/eichmanntrial.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/jun/10/hague-bosnian-serb-srebrenica-genocide
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/7046/Franjo-Tudjman-(-1922-%E2%80%93-1999-).html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratko_Mladi%C4%87
http://www.moc.noaa.gov/rb/ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E3DE1E3AF934A25753C1A96E958260&pagewanted=2
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About eMOTION! REPORTS.com:
eMOTION! REPORTS.com (http://emotionreports.com http://emotionreportscom.blogspot.com/) is an
automotive/aerospace industries research and analysis site targeting professionals within the academic,
media, corporate and government sectors. The site also created a pathway through which white papers
and other scholarly works such as "Crisis On Asimov: A Vision of 2085" by national security strategist
Dr. Sheila Ronis; "Quantum Parallel: The Saint-Hilaire Quasiturbine as the Basis For Simultaneous
Paradigm Shift in Vehicle Propulsion Systems" and "Super-Globalism: Strategies For Maintaining a
Robust Industrial Base Through Technological, Policy and Process Improvement", could be presented
to a broadened yet specific audience.

Publisher Myron D. Stokes is an award winning veteran automotive/aerospace industry analyst and
spent several years as an industry correspondent for Newsweek, Newsweek Japan and Newsweek
International. His.work as an journalist with special emphasis on business and technology has been
published in a variety of other major print mediums including the Detroit News, Changing Times
Magazine, Auto Week and corporate publications. Over the years, he has provided major corporations
and media groups with “deep background” analyses that have helped shape the direction of some of the
most significant news stories and industry strategies After outlining a strategy to expand industry
coverage for Newsweek Magazine in November of 1991, he worked in the capacity of industry
correspondent and investigative reporter. His reporting included in-depth assessments of the “shake-
up” at GM, the much publicized industrial espionage charges against former GM supplier executive Dr.
Ignacio Lopez; the hazards of doing business in China; the viability of Electric Vehicles which centered
on advanced battery technology in both the private sector and military (Newsweek International
edition); the difficulties then facing Japan’s auto industry and the comeback of the Big Three
(Newsweek Japan).

In recent years, he has covered some of the most recognized stories in automotive, aerospace and
general interest. These include the Kirk Kerkorian Chrysler takeover attempt; the GM C/K truck
controversy; the U.S./Japan trade issue (Newsweek Japan) which required significant interaction with
then Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown;data for Newsweek cover story (4/95) on Airline Safety;
investigative analysis of possible collusion between the warring governments of Bosnia President
Alijah Izetbegovich and Serbia President Slobodan Milosevic along with uncovering of plan to re-
implement ethnic cleansing prior to Srebednicza massacre (6/95); and the Oklahoma City bombing. His
ability to thoroughly and accurately report and analyze issues of substance garnered himself and former
Newsweek Detroit Bureau Chief Frank Washington first place in the coveted Detroit Press Club
International Golden Wheel Award for Automotive Journalism in 1995. This competition, judged by
professors from the University of Nebraska School of Journalism, included entries from 110 journalists
in five countries. Business Week took second place. Stokes was also privileged to function as acting
Detroit Bureau Chief for Newsweek.

Stokes maintains strong interest in global affairs, and continues to be involved in a range of nation
building and humanitarian/disaster relief efforts. Among these were acting as initial intercessor
between UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the then warring governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia;


an activity which helped lead to the cessation of hostilities in October 1999; the coordination of relief
activities with US, European and Middle-East based colleagues subsequent to the Bam, Iran,
earthquake of 2004, the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, and co-structuring of academic and
industrio/economic base developmental programs with colleagues in Pakistan and India.

Associate Publisher, Motorsports Editor, John T. Chuhran has covered motorsports as an award-
winning journalist for more than a quarter century. From 1992-94 he served as Director, Media
Relations and primary spokesman for Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (CART) the governing
body for the PPG Indy Car World Series. For more than two decades he has been a sports writer and
editor for such media as The Philadelphia Bulletin, Gannett Westchester (NY) Newspapers, the
Bridgewater (NJ) Courier-News, the Associated Press, United Press International, BBC Radio and the
Reuters News Service. He has served as communications Manager (Product), Press Fleet Supervisor
and Press Information Specialist of Mercedes-Benz North America where he was responsible for all
motorsports and professional sports activities of the company. He also has been the primary media
professional at a selective New York City investor relations firm where he optimized media exposure
for several companies that launched IPOs and Secondary Offerings. During this time, he was also the
de facto Media Relations executive responsible for all media activities of the Professional Sports Car
Racing series (now known as IMSA) during the ownership of Andrew Evans. Currently, Mr. Chuhran
manages the media centers at several NASCAR racetracks during event weekends, and he maintains
extremely positive relationships with the motorsports media. He also continues to write as a
contributing editor for motorsports outlets such as The Star (Mercedes-Benz) magazine.
As a primary result of analytical accuracy and depth of content, ER yields notable Google search
responses to quasi-generic terms such as "2010 Automotive Industry Analysis" (6,9 and 10 of
94,500,000 returns 12/13/10). Now approaching a decade of existence, The eMOTION!
REPORTS.com global team includes some of the most capable journalists and analysts drawn from
media, government and academia.

Web Editor: Matthew Siporin

Download: Project On Nation Security Reform Vision Working Group Report and Scenarios

http://www.slideshare.net/GHHLLC2/project-on-national-security-reform-vision-working-group-report-and-scenarios-including-industrial-base-
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Richard Holbrooke's World: Memories of a Newsweek Special Correspondent - A Quasibiblios by Myron D. Stokes

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