What if the incident at Medak Pocket in 1993 was well known ?

During the Yugoslav Wars a Canadian peace keeping unit by the United Nations had been shelled and attacked by Croatian forces. For a long time this incident was little known. What if it did make international news in 1993 ?
 
I heard somewhere the Canadian prime minister at the time had the incident censored in the news-he feared it would hurt Canada's reputation internationally.
 
The one-dimensional common view was that the Serbians were the bad guys and the Croats the good guys.

Moving away from this simple-minded viewpoint will probably help in efforts to move toward a cease fire, and from there to a longer-lasting . . coalition government in disputed territory? ?
 

plenka

Banned
Strange. Croatians lost 10 men. Neither Croatian nor Serbian side have any information about the battle. If that battle really happened, I am sure that the Serbs would report it. But if the Serbs did not report it, even though it would be in their favour, somebody is not telling the truth. Hmm. Are Serbs covering for the Croats? Nowadays we vote for eachother on Eurovision, but back then relations were a bit strained with the war going on and everything. So, trust me, if the Croatians really fought with Canadians, and lost, do you really think that the Serbs would not crow about it from every possible media?

Relations are quite good nowadays, youger generations are putting history to rest, but back then? If Croatians really fucked up that bad, Serbs would still be gloating about it, and vice versa.

But important thing is not Canadians making up the battle. Important part is were there war crimes commited there? And I as a Croatian, will say that is certain.
 

plenka

Banned
Kick
Also, one more thing. Croatians had artillery and tanks. How were they so incompetent that they were not able to kill a single Canadian? We are not talking about Croatians being raw recruits. Most of them went through one to two years of training in YPA, and this is 93. Equipment situation is improved immensely, some of the units, especially guard brigades and units of special police would be relatively experienced.

But, uber Canadians killed all the dirty genocidal Slavs, without suffering a single killed. What is this? Fucking Anglo-Zanzibar war?

But, it is important that Canadians won, in the greatest battle since the Korean war. One wonders how timely that was. Was not there a scandal, with two Canadian "heroes" beating a Somali boy to death on March 4th and taking photos? With rest of their friends looking on. What happened to that regiment I wonder? Oh yes. Disbanded. Causing loss of faith in military forces and loss of moral by the military.

So, we go somewhere, invent a battle, return home heroes. Only problem is that it never happened. 900 medals for sitting on their asses. Heroes. Every single one of them. Defeated the Untermenschen Slav Hordes, without suffering a single loss.

I do not hate the Serbs. They at least admit that they did fight with us, and that we killed them and they killed us. I do not particulary like them, but they are certainly much more likable then Canadian soldiers.

But as of writing this post, I have taken a severe dislike to Canadian Armed Forces.

EDIT: I withdraw my statement that I dislike Serbs. In comparison with Canadians they are a milion times more desireable. We had a war, and some ethnic cleansing, but at least Serbs have enough pride and decency not to lie when comes to our own conflict. They have nothing to prove. Serbs will fight long and hard, because they are a headstrong, extremely prideful people. I actually respect a Serbian soldier more then any Canadian soldier, for all that they bombed us and ethnic cleansing. We have done same to them.

We butchered each other in the cities we lived together, slaughtered each other in the most brutal ways, and commited such crimes that would turn your stomach if you knew half of them. But right now, as of this moment, I would rather have a milion Serbs around me, and I swear to God, that I would call them all friends, then have to stand a sight of a single Canadian solder of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
 
Last edited:

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Also, one more thing. Croatians had artillery and tanks. How were they so incompetent that they were not able to kill a single Canadian? We are not talking about Croatians being raw recruits. Most of them went through one to two years of training in YPA, and this is 93. Equipment situation is improved immensely, some of the units, especially guard brigades and units of special police would be relatively experienced.

But, uber Canadians killed all the dirty genocidal Slavs, without suffering a single killed. What is this? Fucking Anglo-Zanzibar war?

But, it is important that Canadians won, in the greatest battle since the Korean war. One wonders how timely that was. Was not there a scandal, with two Canadian "heroes" beating a Somali boy to death on March 4th and taking photos? With rest of their friends looking on. What happened to that regiment I wonder? Oh yes. Disbanded. Causing loss of faith in military forces and loss of moral by the military.

So, we go somewhere, invent a battle, return home heroes. Only problem is that it never happened. 900 medals for sitting on their asses. Heroes. Every single one of them. Defeated the Untermenschen Slav Hordes, without suffering a single loss.

I do not hate the Serbs. They at least admit that they did fight with us, and that we killed them and they killed us. I do not particulary like them, but they are certainly much more likable then Canadian soldiers.

But as of writing this post, I have taken a severe dislike to Canadian Armed Forces.

EDIT: I withdraw my statement that I dislike Serbs. In comparison with Canadians they are a milion times more desireable. We had a war, and some ethnic cleansing, but at least Serbs have enough pride and decency not to lie when comes to our own conflict. They have nothing to prove. Serbs will fight long and hard, because they are a headstrong, extremely prideful people. I actually respect a Serbian soldier more then any Canadian soldier, for all that they bombed us and ethnic cleansing. We have done same to them.

We butchered each other in the cities we lived together, slaughtered each other in the most brutal ways, and commited such crimes that would turn your stomach if you knew half of them. But right now, as of this moment, I would rather have a milion Serbs around me, and I swear to God, that I would call them all friends, then have to stand a sight of a single Canadian solder of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
You just camethisclose to being Banned for this crap. It is a combination of Conspiracy Theory and nationalist bigotry. This is your second display of bigotry here that was kick-worthy in 10 months. You have an 0-2 count so you best protect the plate (or, if baseball isn't familiar, your next infraction gets a Red Card).

I actually had the Ban button selected for a second before I decided to go down a step. DO NOT make me regret it.
 
The Canadian Army did not brag about the Medak Pocket for four reasons.

First, Canadian civilians do not want to know what Canadian soldiers do overseas. Canadians prefer to live idealic "safe" lives where Canadian Peacekeepers gently separate exhausted combatants who have already agreed to a ceasefire. Canadian civilians would like to hold Canadian soldiers to the same standards as suburban police. Canadian civilians do not want to know about Canadian police roughing up gangsters, dope-dealers, homeless, etc. Canadian civilians desperately do not want to know about C. soldiers drinking with Serbian militias. and want o know even less about U.N. Peacekeepers aiding and abetting drug smugglers, pimps, human traffickers, etc. See the book "Whistleblower" written by an American police officer/U.N. contractor who was shocked by all the criminal activities she observed in the former Yugoslavia.

Secondly, Canadian civilians do not want to hear about Canadian soldiers playing by local rules (e.g. Somalian) Canadian civilians fluff up righteous indignation about C. soldiers' brutal behaviour. C. civilians would like to (naively) believe that C. soldiers - in combat zones - operate by the Sam rules of engagement as suburban police. These are the same C. civilians who get upset when C. police kill a knife-wielding maniac on a city bus!
In Somalia, C. soldiers beat up a petty thief - following Somali traditions - in a country lacking police, prisons or courts. Somalia remains a desperately poor country that no outsiders can fix. CAF media relations officers delayed/prevented release of news about the Medak Pocket for fear that it would be tainted by the Somalian debacle.
News of the Medak Pocket only reached the public - years later - when CBC TV journalist Carol Off did a documentary and a book about "Ghosts of the Medak Pocket."

Thirdly, C. Peacekeepers (in Somalia) were ruined by the advent of digital cameras. Previously, Military Police always reviewed films processed through the CANEX on every base. The most embarrassing films were lost or destroyed. Digital cameras skipped the whole development process, side-stepping MPs' scrutiny.

Finally, CAF media relations officers cycle through "slicker than snake-oil salesmen" to "bumbling idiots."

Master Corporal R. Warner CD, BA, etc.retired
 
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