Fateful Choices: The Tragedy of Dragan Obrenovic

I am to blame for everything I did at that time,' Dragan Obrenovic told the three Tribunal judges at his sentencing hearing for crimes associated with the Srebrenica massacres. He expressed remorse as well as guilt for his part in the murder of thousands of victims. 'My testimony and admission of guilt will also remove the blame from my nation because it is the individual guilt of a man named Dragan Obrenovic. I am responsible for this,' he repeated, while also directing his expression of guilt and remorse to the 'victims and their shadows.'

The former professional military officer said he would be happy if his acceptance of responsibility and truth-telling contributes to reconciliation, 'if neighbors can shake hands and children play together again.' He continued, 'I will be happy if my testimony helps the families of victims by sparing them from testifying and reliving the horrors and pain.'

Mr. Obrenovic, himself neither nationalist nor political, began his short, eloquent statement by telling the Court how his country slipped into war and ethnic hatred almost unnoticed because it was unbelievable. 'Death moved into the vicinity and became our reality. . . . Surrounded by horrors, we got used to them.' 'Among the horrors,' he told the judges, was that this was done by people who knew each other, 'who had lived almost as family.' 'We trampled on and forgot our best selves in hatred and brutality.' Within this context, 'the horror of Srebrenica happened.'

Stating that everyone is still suffering on all sides, Mr. Obrenovic said, 'what has won the victory is misfortune and unhappiness as a consequence of blind hatred. The spirit of this unhappiness still hovers over our Bosnian hills which still suffer so much. It will take years to wipe out the horrors of this war. Maybe decades have to pass before the wounds in the souls are healed.'

'If my confession, testimony and remorse and attempt to face myself contribute to a quicker healing, I will have done my duty as a soldier, human being and father.'

By accepting responsibility and agreeing to testify at any Tribunal trial concerning Srebrenica, Mr. Obrenovic expressed his wish 'that my testimony should help prevent this happening ever again -- not just in Bosnia, but everywhere.'

'It is too late for me,' he told the Court, 'but not for the children in Bosnia.'
Note: For accurate translation and the original language, readers are directed to the ICTY website (www.un.org/icty) which will carry a transcript of the hearing in due time. Any errors in the above quotations are those of the writer, who can only listen and scribble so fast