Ethnic Conflicts
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Following World War I, Bosnia and Herzegovina were joined with Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia to form Yugoslavia, a country under Soviet influence. Once Soviet rule ended in 1990, Yugoslavia, like other countries in Eastern Europe were politically free, but in poor economic condition. Ethnic tensions came quickly to the surface. Yugoslavia, though united by a common language was both ethnically and religiously diverse. In 1991, Croatia and Slovenia asserted their independence. Bosnia followed suit in 1992, but Bosnia was less homogenous than Croatia or Slovenia, and was plagued by violence from the start. Muslims were the largest group, but not a majority. Bosnian Serbs, a smaller minority, wanted to remain with Serbian-controlled Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serbs began a system of ethnic cleansing, using terror and murder, to rid Bosnia of Muslims. Foreign powers were slow to intervene. When the UN made efforts to protect Muslims, Serbs continued to bomb Muslim area and UN safe zones. NATO intervened in 1995, bombed Serbian targets and brought them to peace talks. The talks resulted in the Dayton Accord, which gave Bosnian Serbs control over limited territory while recognizing the authority of the Muslim-controlled state government.
Rwanda
Foreign powers were again slow to intervene in Rwanda in 1994 when Hutus massacred approximately 800,000 Tutsis in a matter of 100 days. The roots of this genocide date back to German colonial rule which strengthened the Tutsi minority and set up a Tutsi monarchy. In 1961, a Hutu coup set up a Hutu national government. Periodic violence flared up throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and again in 1991, which led to negotiations that would allow Tutsis to be part of the government. Hutu extremists opposed this move. The organized massacre of Tutsis and moderate Hutus began when a plane carrying the Rwandan president was shot down over the capital. The extremists encouraged and estimated 200,000 Hutus across the country to participate in the genocide by killing their Tutsi neighbors. The killing ended as the Tutsis fought back and took over the capital. UN peacekeeping forces arrived in meaningful numbers in June, after 700,000 were already dead and millions more had fled to neighboring countries, mostly Zaire.
Terrorism
Terrorism is an ancient tactic, but its use around the world has increased since the 1960s. Terrorism refers to violence against civilians for political purposes. It is meant to get the attention of governments, and terrorists believe that even harsh reprisals are productive by garnering sympathy for their causes. Terrorist acts include bombings, hijackings, kidnappings, and shootings. During the 1960s and 1970s, both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants, used terrorist tactics. The British sent in troops who violated the civil rights of IRA (Irish Republican Army) members and Catholic communities. Peace was finally reached in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement. Since the 1960s, urban terrorists in Latin America have targeted banks, stores, police departments, public buildings and military posts in fights against repressive governments and U.S. economic domination. Terrorist organizations plagued civilians and governments throughout Latin America, notably in Peru, Columbia, Brazil, and Mexico. Some were Marxist organizations; others were motivated by nationalism. In the 1990s, the terrorist organization al-Qaida, led by Osama bin Laden, targeted the foreign influence in Arab countries, specifically by the United States. In 1998 al-Qaida built its terror brand with the bombings of United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and again with the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Then, on September 11th of 2001, Al-Qaida orchestrated the hijacking of four airplanes in the United States and flew two of them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, and one into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane was retaken by the passengers who crashed it into a field in Pennsylvania. American reprisals were swift and harsh. Within a month, U.S. forces were deployed to Afghanistan where it was believed that the Taliban was harboring bin Laden. The government also responded with increased watchfulness and a global “war on terrorism.”
Following World War I, Bosnia and Herzegovina were joined with Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia to form Yugoslavia, a country under Soviet influence. Once Soviet rule ended in 1990, Yugoslavia, like other countries in Eastern Europe were politically free, but in poor economic condition. Ethnic tensions came quickly to the surface. Yugoslavia, though united by a common language was both ethnically and religiously diverse. In 1991, Croatia and Slovenia asserted their independence. Bosnia followed suit in 1992, but Bosnia was less homogenous than Croatia or Slovenia, and was plagued by violence from the start. Muslims were the largest group, but not a majority. Bosnian Serbs, a smaller minority, wanted to remain with Serbian-controlled Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serbs began a system of ethnic cleansing, using terror and murder, to rid Bosnia of Muslims. Foreign powers were slow to intervene. When the UN made efforts to protect Muslims, Serbs continued to bomb Muslim area and UN safe zones. NATO intervened in 1995, bombed Serbian targets and brought them to peace talks. The talks resulted in the Dayton Accord, which gave Bosnian Serbs control over limited territory while recognizing the authority of the Muslim-controlled state government.
Rwanda
Foreign powers were again slow to intervene in Rwanda in 1994 when Hutus massacred approximately 800,000 Tutsis in a matter of 100 days. The roots of this genocide date back to German colonial rule which strengthened the Tutsi minority and set up a Tutsi monarchy. In 1961, a Hutu coup set up a Hutu national government. Periodic violence flared up throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and again in 1991, which led to negotiations that would allow Tutsis to be part of the government. Hutu extremists opposed this move. The organized massacre of Tutsis and moderate Hutus began when a plane carrying the Rwandan president was shot down over the capital. The extremists encouraged and estimated 200,000 Hutus across the country to participate in the genocide by killing their Tutsi neighbors. The killing ended as the Tutsis fought back and took over the capital. UN peacekeeping forces arrived in meaningful numbers in June, after 700,000 were already dead and millions more had fled to neighboring countries, mostly Zaire.
Terrorism
Terrorism is an ancient tactic, but its use around the world has increased since the 1960s. Terrorism refers to violence against civilians for political purposes. It is meant to get the attention of governments, and terrorists believe that even harsh reprisals are productive by garnering sympathy for their causes. Terrorist acts include bombings, hijackings, kidnappings, and shootings. During the 1960s and 1970s, both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants, used terrorist tactics. The British sent in troops who violated the civil rights of IRA (Irish Republican Army) members and Catholic communities. Peace was finally reached in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement. Since the 1960s, urban terrorists in Latin America have targeted banks, stores, police departments, public buildings and military posts in fights against repressive governments and U.S. economic domination. Terrorist organizations plagued civilians and governments throughout Latin America, notably in Peru, Columbia, Brazil, and Mexico. Some were Marxist organizations; others were motivated by nationalism. In the 1990s, the terrorist organization al-Qaida, led by Osama bin Laden, targeted the foreign influence in Arab countries, specifically by the United States. In 1998 al-Qaida built its terror brand with the bombings of United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and again with the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Then, on September 11th of 2001, Al-Qaida orchestrated the hijacking of four airplanes in the United States and flew two of them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, and one into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane was retaken by the passengers who crashed it into a field in Pennsylvania. American reprisals were swift and harsh. Within a month, U.S. forces were deployed to Afghanistan where it was believed that the Taliban was harboring bin Laden. The government also responded with increased watchfulness and a global “war on terrorism.”