[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20063]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF ZEPA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSS CARNAHAN

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2009

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
anniversary of the fall of Zepa during the war in Bosnia in 1995. Just 
a few weeks ago, I attended the Srebrenica genocide remembrance 
ceremony in Bosnia and Herzegovina to commemorate the thousands of 
innocent lives lost during the war. It is important to remember these 
innocent people who lost their lives as Bosnians move forward.
  This siege on Srebrenica, however, was not an isolated event. On July 
25, 1995, Zepa, another U.N.-declared safe haven, also fell to the same 
forces that took Srebrenica just weeks earlier. The thousands of 
inhabitants and refugees in Zepa were forced to suffer, and die through 
a constant downpour of shellfire.
  In addition to the vast numbers who perished due to the barrage of 
fire and starvation, an unknown number were taken away never to be seen 
again, including the Colonel of the Bosnia and Herzegovina army, Avdo 
Palic, who negotiated the evacuation of approximately 5,000 civilians.
  Today, a little more than 14 years after the fall of Zepa, I urge us 
all to remember not only the fall of Zepa, but also the destruction of 
the other towns of Srebrenica, Zepa, Sarajevo, Gorazde, Bihac, Tuzla, 
Prijedor, Bjeljina, Visegrad, Foca, and Kozarac, and many others, all 
of which experienced significant loss. We must remind ourselves of the 
innocent lives that were lost, and honor their memory.
  Madam Speaker, while we cannot erase the pain of these losses, let us 
support the efforts of the families of the missing to learn the fate of 
their loved ones, and let us support the justice that is necessary for 
the building of a stable, prosperous, and unified Bosnia and 
Herzegovina.

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