Dispatches from the Balkan War and Other Writings

During the past decade, French intellectual and media celebrity Finkielkraut has taken such a staunchly pro-Croatian stance that many of those who disagree with him have taken to calling him ""Finkielcro-ate."" This collection of his controversial journalistic writings from the 1990s amply demonstrates this pro-Croatian line and his pessimistic assessment of Europe's and the world's response to the Balkan wars. From the earliest days of the Yugoslav crisis--Slovenia's secession and the war in Croatia--Finkielkraut cried out for the recognition of the former Yugoslav republics as independent states, accusing the French media of ""impatience,"" ""bad humor"" and a specifically French form of myopia that he terms ""navel contemplation."" Among those most bitingly criticized is former French president Fran ois Mitterrand, whose trip to Sarajevo to secure the reopening of the airport Finkielkraut derides as an act of political showmanship. Capturing the irony of the West's repeated attempts to keep Yugoslavia together in the months before open warfare, he accuses politicians of a stubborn ""will to powerlessness""--a willingness to hide behind the false shield of humanitarian aid. Finkielkraut is nothing if not passionate and opinionated. He offers no pretense of impartiality and no in-depth knowledge of the region. While cleverly laying bare some of the inadequacies of the world's response to the Balkan crises, he seriously confuses the motivations at play in the region. In defending Croatia, he believes he is defending an authentic idea of humanity and democracy. Readers aware of Croatia's record on human rights may disagree with his views. (Dec.)