A formal ceremony at Eagle Base, near Tuzla, Bosnia marked the official departure of the US contingent to the multi—national Stabilization Force (SFOR) in the Balkans.  Reuters reports that Brigadier General Timothy Wright, the commander of the outgoing US force, emphasized that the US will leave 150 soldiers at Eagle Base to continue the hunt for war crime suspects Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.  The US will also have about 100 Soldiers on the NATO headquarters staff in Sarajevo.  So, for these soldiers, the nine—year quagmire continues.

On July 1st of this year, The American Thinker reported  that the Bosnian mission was coming to an end based upon the closing of the Intermediate Logistics Base at Taszar, Hungary.  At the time, a US European Command (EUCOM) representative let on that the base was closing due to the Bosnian mission coming to an end.

Of course, the major press would never highlight this major withdrawal for fear of resurrecting the controversial history behind Bill Clinton's and Wesley Clark's Excellent Balkan Adventure.  Reuters also fails to explain why the US must also leave over 300 intelligence operatives in the region to help combat a major terrorist 'way station' originally set up by the 200 Mujahadeen that Clinton allowed in the country over 10 years ago  in contravention of international sanctions.

So let's see, we are withdrawing 700, and leaving behind 550 Soldiers and intelligence operators who could logically be put to good use in the Central Region.  Reuters and the other major press outlets that so strongly made Bill Clinton's case for intervention, need to explain their disinformation campaign that led to US involvement in this Balkan quagmire.

Yeah...I must be dreaming.

Doug Hanson  11—24—04