Back in Sarajevo in October 1995, the expectancy on the good results of the American diplomacy was very high. Richard Holbrooke had managed to construct a Cease-Fire Agreement with the three factions, and he was pushing for the final Peace Agreement. The population wanted Peace and the Americans were getting it for them. On the streets of Sarajevo, everybody was enthusiastically expressing appreciation for the American support.
Previous to the Agreement, it was fashion to have a social behavior and attitude copied from the American films; but after the achievement of the Cease Fire Agreement, the degree of “Americanism” went sky-high.
There were people literally saying that their future was going to be brilliant, because the Americans were coming to assure it for them!
At a certain point, some vendors were selling a version of the American Flag with a golden Liz Flower – the Bosnian symbol – together with the 50 white stars of the “Union”, as if Bosnia would be the 51st State of the USA.
The UN – UNPROFOR – had its days counted. For three and a half years the blue helmets had struggled to keep a peace that was not existent. They had had losses of peacekeepers, over 200 KIA (killed in action) and many hundreds of WIA (Wounded in Action). But the multinational political engagement was still suffering from Cold War contradictions, and no hard decisions were being made. Until the American Diplomacy came unilaterally into the game and decided to put a stop to it.
Therefore, one shouldn’t be surprised to see Bosnian Americanism, in the streets of Sarajevo, back in 1995.
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