U.S. foreign policy officials recently had the occasion to hear about the strife in Bosnia-Herzegovina firsthand. In January, two distinguished Bosnian leaders addressed congressional staffers about the ongoing struggles at an AFPC luncheon. Dr. Ejup Ganic is a member of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In that capacity, Dr. Ganic is a member of the Republic’s Executive Body, assuming executive responsibilities in leading the government when President Izetbegovic is not in Sarajevo. Muhamed Sacirbey, Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the U.N. was also present.
Both spoke on a wide spectrum of topics: Serbian aggression, ethnic cleansing – human rights violations, the U.S.’s role to avert further warfare, prospects for the conflict widening to include other countries in the Balkans, and the effectiveness of the U.N. as a tool to end the violence.
Present at the luncheon were senior staff members from the offices of Senator Robert Dole, Senator Joseph Lieberman, Senator James Jeffords, Congressman Steve Horn, Congressman Harry Johnston II; members of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Intelligence Committee; and representatives from the Justice Department and Voice of America.
“This was an invaluable opportunity for the luncheon participants to meet with these guests and discuss these difficult, sensitive issues,” says AFPC President Herman Pirchner.