I guess Hortlund and Swoop where there...
As always it´s very easy to accuse people of what they did and didnt do when the dust settles. Sometimes its the only decent thing to do (as the warcrimes during the second world war), sometimes the only decent thing to do is to try to understand why things turned out the way they did.
Failure to do so only ends up with bloated and rather pointless coments.
Yes, there has been an official investigation, and yes it failed to consider the fact that the members of the comition satt in comfy chairs faaaaar from the actions the investigated when they took place.
In my humble opinion the dutch soldiers did what they could do. Of course the CO could have opted to take a heroic stance, in which case he most surely would have been roughly treated by the dutch opinion, government and probably by the UN. However then he would have been dead, so at least he wouldnt have had to listen to harsh words from people who werent there...
Did 6 months in Bosnia, got shot at and screamed at. Also smiled at and waved at. Sometimes all of the aboth mentioned by the same people the same day, but not necesarily in the order above.
It was a hell of a situation, which could have been much better if UN had had the resources necessary. Which we didnt have, we did what we could do with what we had. So did the Dutch.
Please dont go at them again, I´ve heard so many people who werent there badmouth them that Im getting tired of it.
Sincerely Hiker
PFC
7th COY Swebat
