Letter: Bosnia's slide into state of criminality

Mr Conrad Natzio
Sunday 03 January 1993 19:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir: Correlli Barnett must have read my letter (31 December) very hastily if he thinks it contained a recommendation for 'the commitment of large (EC or British) military forces to an open-ended campaign in mountainous country'.

I fear, though, that we shall get just that unless other measures (ie, sanctions) are applied with a lot more enthusiasm than at present - not perhaps physically too difficult, if only the will was there. A couple of men at the Danube lock at the Iron Gates, backed by patrol boats - available just downstream at the Romanian base at Turnu Severin - could have a wonderfully restraining effect on riverborne contraband.

The point seems to be this. All peoples must be free to arrange their political affairs without interference, until matters slide into the state of criminality that has been reached in Bosnia and seems likely to spread. It was precisely Hitler's domestic crimes which should have given warning of what was to come.

If Mr Barnett believes that the Bosnian kind of trouble is no threat to our, that is, EC, interests, he must be living in another century indeed - possibly that of Walpole whose unedifying remark he quotes with approval, perhaps surprisingly, since Walpole - isolationist Norfolkman or not - got us into the War of Jenkins' Ear, and lacked the wit to get us out or the principle to resign when he could not do so.

Yours faithfully,

CONRAD NATZIO

Thurlton, Norfolk

2 January

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in