On October 1, 2013, ACBH Founding President and Honorary Board Member, Dr. Mirsad Hadzikadic attended the "Bosnia, Intelligence, and the Clinton Presidency" event in Little Rock, Arkansas at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released more than 300 newly declassified documents on the Bosnian War and the event examined the conflict and the role of intelligence in informing senior policymakers.
The keynote address was given by President Bill Clinton and speakers included former Secretary of State and United Nations Ambassador, Madeleine Albright; former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Wesley Clark; former National Security Advisor to Vice President Gore, Leon Fuerth; former National Security Advisor, Samuel Berger; and former CIA Deputy Director for Intelligence, John Gannon.
President Clinton stressed that he did not agree with former U.S. Secretary of State, Jim Baker when he stated that the U.S. did not have a dog in this fight. "We did have a dog in the Bosnian fight and we made sure that our dog won the fight. The future is up to the Bosnians," stated President Clinton.
The Bosnian War lasted from 1992-1995, and claimed more than 250,000 lives and displaced over two million people. "I was glad that I had the opportunity to thank President Clinton and Secretary Albright on behalf of Bosnian Americans for all they and this great country did for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The U.S. intervention ultimately stopped the war and saved many lives," stated Dr. Hadzikadic.
Secretary of State Albright asserted that the outcome of the Bosnian War showed that the limited use of force – even airpower alone-could make a decisive difference and that it showed the importance of allied unity and American leadership.
To access the declassified documents please click here.