Armin Bosanac to the White House re: War in Bosnia

INCOMING UNCLASSIFIED INCOMING AMEMBASSY PARIS 3411 PAGE 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001686/01 XMB031 28/0555Z ZAGREB 001686/01 XMB031 28/0555Z ACTION: POL (01) AND MY MOM USED TO WORK IN A CANDY STORE BEFORE THE WAR. MY FRIEND, ONCE AGAIN, I THANK YOU, BUT NOT BECAUSE I INFO: DCM (01) EXT (01) POLD (01) LAB (01) MIL (01) INT (01) WANT YOU TO SEND ME SOME MORE CANDY. I WANT TO BEG YOU TO FIN (01) GEP (01) MNE (01) USI (01) ORA (01) SCI (01) PRS (01) SEND ME FREEDOM. SECD (01) READ (01) ECSO (01) NES (01) DAO (01) ODC (01) CGN (01) AMBE (01) ADMO (01) AMB (01) DCMO (01) NSFO (01) MY MOTHER IS WRITING THIS LETTER AND I'M DICTATING. YOU IPC (01) KNOW, I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WRITE AGAIN. ACTUALLY, NOT 28/05552 A0 (TOTAL COPIES: 027) UNTIL I LEARN TO WRITE WITH MY LEFT HAND. REALLY, I WAS VZCZCTAI269FR0805 PD LUCKY. MY FRIEND FROM THE COAST, LOST BOTH HIS ARMS IN RR RUEHFR TRAVNIK. HE'S NOT SORRY, BECAUSE HE WAS PROTECTING HIS DE RUFHZG #1686/01 1180604 28-APR-94 TOR: 05:50 SISTER, BUT HE'S SORRY THAT ONLY THE NEXT DAY, SOMEONE ZNR UUUUU ZZH CHRG: PROG DECIDED TO STOP THE ENEMY, I THINK IT WAS YOUR AMERICA, R 280604Z APR 94 DIST: POL AND SHOT DOWN FOUR AIRPLANES WHO WERE KILLING THE CITY. FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB HE'S SORRY THAT THEY WERE LATE. TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1695 INFO RUFNBUT/HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// MY FRIEND I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IN MY BOSNIAN CITY IN RUFRQJQ/COM SIXTHFLT//N2// MY GORAZDE. WE ARE SURROUNDED AND WE CANNOT LEAVE, AND RUSNNOG/USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECP EVEN IF WE COULD, WE DON'T HAVE ANYPLACE TO GO. MY WHOLE RUFDNBS/CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLA COUNTRY, MY BOSNIA IS SURROUNDED, ATTACKED, AND ONE RHFQAAA/CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN/PO CANNOT BE A GUEST ANYWHERE TOO LONG. I WOULD COME TO YOU, RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21// RUEADWW/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC NS can we nor MY AMERICAN FRIEND, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOOD, BUT I CAN'T LEAVE MY FRIENDS, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE A GOALKEEPER IN THE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// STREET. ZORAN HAS THE BIGGEST BASEMENT, THAT'S WHERE WE RUFHMU/AMCONSUL MUNICH 0134 PLAY, WHEN THERE'S SHOOTING OUTSIDE, WE EAT THERE, SLEEP RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0778 THERE, LIVE THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SHOOTING, RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0970 CONSTANTLY. RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0908 RUEHZG/NATO EC COLLECTIVE SOMEONE FROM HUMANITARIAN AID IS LEAVING MY CITY TODAY, RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0916 AND HE PROMISED HE WOULD TAKE MY LETTER OUT OF BOSNIA, TO BT MY CLOSEST ONES. BUT, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE CLOSER THAN UNCLAS ZAGREB 001686 OU. I AM TAKING THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE TO YOU IN THE NAME OF THE CHILDREN OF BOSNIA AND IN MY OWN NAME. VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA I BEG YOU, HELP US, YOU, WHOSE FATHER MAKES DECISIONS, YOU WHOSE GRANDFATHER, UNCLE AND OTHER RELATIVES ARE IN USMISSION USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE THE "WHITE HOUSE." BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEC MY DEAR FRIEND, IMAGINE IF YOU WERE IN MY PLACE, AND THAT MEANS THE FOLLOWING: TURN YOUR LIGHT OFF FOR TWO YEARS, E.O. 12356: N/A SAVE YOUR CANDLES, YOU RARELY HAVE THEM, TURN THE WATER TAGS: PREL, BK, UN OFF, YOU'RE HAPPY BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR WOOD STORED IN SUBJECT: TFSROL: A CHILD'S PLEA FROM GORAZDE THE BATHTUB, YOUR SALAD IS GROWING ON THE BALCONY, AND YOU'RE IMPATIENTLY WAITING FOR IT TO GROW. BECAUSE OF YOUR MOM, YOU EAT RICE, SPAGHETTI AND CANNED FOOD, YOU INTRODUCTION HAVE NO CANDY, NO FRUIT, YOUR FEEL SORRY BECAUSE OF YOUR SISTER. MOTHERS ARE SAD, AND FATHERS ARE ON THE FRONT LINE 1. A LETTER WRITTEN MARCH 8, 1994 BY ARMIN BOSANAC, AN EIGHT YEAR-OLD BOY IN GORAZDE, WAS DELIVERED TO THE S, YOU HEAR GRENADES, SHOOTING. YOU'RE IN THE EMBASSY BY A HUMANITARIAN AID WORKER ON APRIL 25. BASEMENT, SAD BECAUSE YOUR FATHER DIDN'T TAKE YOU, YOU ACCOMPANYING THE LETTER WAS A REQUEST BY THE BOY'S MOTHER PRAY TO GOD THAT NO ONE GETS KILLED, YOU'RE AFRAID OF THAT THE LETTER BE FORWARDED ON TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THE DAYTIME BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT LAST NIGHT ONE OF YOUR LETTER DESCRIBES LIFE IN GORAZDE UNDER SIEGE, BEFORE THE FRIENDS LOST HIS FATHER, HIS BIG BROTHER, GRENADES HIT LATEST SERB OFFENSIVE BEGAN. IT INCLUDES A REPEATED CRY THE TOWN AND YOU WONDER WHO LOST HIS MOTHER, SISTER, FOR HELP FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND LITTLE BROTHER LAST NIGHT. YOU WONDER AND YOU DON'T KNOW PARTICULARLY THE U.S. THAT YOU'LL LOSE YOUR FATHER TOMORROW. MY FRIEND, HELP ME PLEASE. NOT BECAUSE OF ME, MY FATHER IS ALREADY DEAD BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LET THE ENEMY INTO OUR TOWN HELP ME A PLEA FROM GORAZDE BECAUSE OF MY FRIEND'S FATHERS. MY MOTHER IS ALWAYS CRYING, SHE CRIES A LOT, HELP ME PREVENT EVERY MOTHER IN MY TOWN FROM CRYING. 2. (BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER) MY DEAR LITTLE FRIEND FROM THE USA, WHEREVER YOU MAY BE: I'M BRAVE, BUT IT'S SAD MY FRIEND, WITHOUT A FATHER. YOU KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO THE SEA ANYMORE, I WOULDN'T I RECEIVED YOUR CARD. THANK YOU. IT FELL WITH THE LIKE TO GO SKIING WITHOUT DAD, HIS PLACE AT THE TABLE PACKAGE THAT SOMEONE'S FATHER-DROPPED FROM AN AIRPLANE. WILL REMAIN EMPTY, AND HE WAS THE CHIEF, MY SEVENTH THE PACKAGE WAS BIG. THANK YOU FOR THE CANDY, I SHARED BIRTHDAY WAS YESTERDAY, AND DAD COULDN'T TELL ME "YOU'RE IT WITH MY FRIENDS. EVERYONE ON THE STREET GOT A BIG GUY NOW." SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, MY FRIEND, WE STARTED FORGETTING WHAT CHOCOLATE LOOKS LIKE, AND MY LITTLE SISTER, WHO IS IT'S VERY SAD BEING WITHOUT A FATHER MY FRIEND DON'T TWO YEARS OLD, NEVER SAW CHOCOLATE BECAUSE OF THE WAR. EVEN TRY TO IMAGINE HOW YOU WOULD BE WITHOUT YOURS, DON'T UNCLASSIFIED INCOMING UNCLASSIFIED INCOMING AMEMBASSY PARIS PAGE 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001686/01 XMB031 28/0555Z ZAGREB 001686/01 XMB031 28/0555Z ASK FOR TROUBLE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS LIKE THIS "YOU GROWNUPS DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CHILDREN CAN DO." SINCE EITHER. DO SOMETHING, YOU CAN. PERSUADE YOUR FATHER AND MY SON'S LETTER WILL FIRST GO TO ZAGREB TO SOME "AMERICAN GRANDFATHER TO HELP US. THEY CAN. I KNOW THAT THEY CAN, ADDRESS I WILL ASK THE KIND PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE THIS BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME, THEY WORK, LIVE, LOVE... LETTER TO TRANSLATE IT INTO ENGLISH AND SEND A COPY TO THE FAMILY OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, AND ANOTHER TO THE PLEASE, I BEG YOU, ESPECIALLY YOU, WHO HAS AN IMPORTANT CHILDREN OF AMERICA THROUGH PRESS. GROWNUPS, WE HAVE FAMOUS GRANDFATHER, FATHER, UNCLE, RELATIVE, TELL THEM KILLED AND STOLEN ALL OUR CHILDREN'S JOYS, LET'S NOT THAT IT'S DIFFICULT WITHOUT A FATHER, TELL THEM TO DO THROW AWAY, STEAL THIS LETTER TOO. SOMETHING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE KILLING IS ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND YOUR MOTHERS, STOPPED. THEY AND THEY ALONE CAN DO IT. THEY HELPED THE ARMIN'S MOM CAPITAL OF MY COUNTRY A LOT BECAUSE THEY THREATENED THE (END TEXT OF LETTER) ENEMY. BUT MY COUNTRY IS NOT THE CAPITAL ONLY. MY LITTLE BUT BIG FRIEND, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN STOP THIS GALBRAITH WAR, BECAUSE YOUR FATHER, GRANDFATHER UNCLE, LOVE TO BT LISTEN TO YOU THE MOST. I BEG YOU, PLEASE DON'T LET #1686 GAMES, LOVE, AND LIFE CARRY YOU SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE NNNN THE TIME TO READ THIS LETTER. HELP ME SO THAT YOU AND I CAN SAVE OUR BOSNIA FULL OF FATHERS, AND I WILL BE GRATEFUL TO YOU BECAUSE I WILL BE ABLE TO SIT BY MY FATHER'S GRAVE AND WON'T BE AFRAID FOR MY FRIEND'S FATHERS AND THEIR RIGHT ARMS. TELL THEM MY FRIEND TO HELP US, MAKE THEM GO AWAY, THOSE WHO SHOOT. IF YOU ARE SAD, IF YOU DON'T PLAY, YOU DON'T EAT, YOU DON'T STUDY, THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. THEY LIVE BECAUSE OF YOU, I'M SURE OF THAT. I HEARD MY DAD SAY THAT HE LIVES BECAUSE OF MY SISTER, ME, AND MY MOM. PLEASE TELL YOUR POWERFUL FATHER, GRANDFATHER THAT OUR FATHERS KNOW HOW TO BUY CANDY, AND THAT OUR MOTHERS KNOW HOW TO MAKE CAKES, BUT ALL THEY NEED IS LIFE, OR BETTER YET, DON'T TELL THEM, LET BE IT BE OUR OWN CHILDREN'S SECRET THAT I WROTE TO YOU, YOU CAN READ THE LETTER TO YOUR MOM ONLY, MAYBE SHE'LL HELP YOU PERSUADE YOUR FATHERS, GRANDFATHERS, AND UNCLES. MY LITTLE FRIEND, BUT BIG FRIEND FROM AMERICA, IF YOU ARE DETERMINED AND PERSISTENT YOU WILL SUCCEED. I KNOW THAT YOU WILL BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN MY GENERATION, WHEREVER YOU ARE. THANK YOU MY FRIEND FOR THE PACKAGES, BUT INSIDE THOSE PACKAGES WILL NEVER BE ONE LOST FATHER. THEREFORE, I BEG YOU, HELP US, YOU WHOSE FATHER IS FROM "TELEVISION," POWERFUL FATHER, GRANDFATHER, UNCLE. HURRY UP MY FRIEND, THERE ARE LESS FATHERS EACH DAY, AND US FUTURE BASKETBALL PLAYERS, SKIERS, SWIMMERS. IF YOU WAIT TOO LONG, THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO REPRESENT BOSNIA AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES ANYMORE, WE WILL WATCH THE GAMES FROM OUR WHEELCHAIRS, OR WE MAY NOT EVEN WATCH THEM, A GAME IS NOT A GAME WITHOUT A FATHER. THANK YOU MY AMERICAN FRIEND WHEREVER YOU ARE. THANKS TO THE NICE FELLOW WHO WILL CARRY THIS LETTER. THANKS TO MY MOM FOR WRITING IT, AND THANKS TO MY FATHER FOR PROTECTING US. THANKS TO YOUR FATHER, GRANDFATHER, UNCLE WHO WILL HELP US BRING FREEDOM. AND DON'T YOU CRY MY FRIEND WHILE YOU ARE READING, LIKE MY MOM WHO WAS CRYING WHILE WRITING. YOU'RE A BIG GUY, BE STRONG, COURAGEOUS, DETERMINED AND HELP US. UNTIL WE SEE EACH OTHER IN FREE BOSNIA, ALL THE CHILDREN OF BOSNIA SAY HI AND I MYSELF, ARMIN BOSANAC FROM GORAZDE DEAR CHILDREN OF AMERICA: MY SON WAS DETERMINED TO WRITE TO YOU, HE'S OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA THAT CHILDREN CAN STOP THE WAR, AND HE SAYS: UNCLASSIFIED