Back in 1995, the Bosnian Warring Factions had discovered the Center of Gravity of the International Community: – “The living-rooms of the European and North American population, during the TV news prime-time”. There was the need to broadcast strong dramatic images, favoring the Bosnian Muslims’ cause; and there were lots of journalists around, desperate to get those strong images; the self-called “Tribe” residing in Holiday Inn – Sarajevo.
Among the UNMO officers, there was an unwritten rule:
– “Keep away from the cameramen … if you don’t want to die on “life TV.”
That unwritten rule was due to the fact that the snipers, from all factions, had the tendency to fire upon UN personnel when the “Media Tribe” was close to them, in order to film it and have in the evening news; hence passing strong messages about the Bosnian War.
The French Contingent lost several good soldiers that way, in Sarajevo. Nothing was happening until the TV crew showed up and, after their arrival; it was “Blue Helmets’ season”.
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