In the list of “America’s Wars” at a site giving a brief history of Memorial Day, the war in ex-Yugoslavia is omitted.

America’s Wars

The American Revolution

War of 1812

Mexican War

Civil War

Spanish American War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

The Persian Gulf War

Afghanistan War

Iraq War

Polemicists on the left often assert that America fought no wars when Bill Clinton was president. There seems to be a desire on their part to forget the fierce engagements in Kosovo and Bosnia when Americans, as the major NATO contingent, fought on the side of the Muslims. The war in ex-Yugoslavia lasted from 1991 to 1995. For the last two years of it, Bill Clinton was president. In 1999, from March 24 to June  10, NATO bombed the Serbs to protect the Muslim Kosovars, and that action too was the decision of President Clinton.

Is the Democratic Party embarrassed about it?

If so, they should be. It was wholly unnecessary for Americans to be involved in the conflict. It was an intervention less “legitimized” by the disgusting United Nations than the Iraq war. No American interests whatsoever were involved.

No wonder it’s been dropped down the memory hole.

How many Americans died in it?

We hope that they too are remembered today at Arlington National Cemetery and throughout the land.

 A fine and depressing example of what a pesky nuisance religion is in human affairs, this passage from a report (read the whole thing here) on the Macedonia region of erstwhile Yugoslavia:

“Oh yes,” he said. “Because the Serbian church is supporting the Greek church against recognizing the Macedonian church as independent. The Greek church can recognize the Macedonian church as independent, but not under this name. They are not recognizing the name of the state and they are not recognizing the language, plus they are not recognizing the church. The Muslim community is supporting the Orthodox church against this Pope, and saying You should be independent, and this Pope should have his own church in Macedonia. The Muslim community is supporting the Orthodox church, so the Orthodox church is supporting the Muslim community against us. And the Macedonian government is under the influence of the Orthodox church. Plus, this political party – the national political party – they are investing a lot of money in the church building process, mosques also, etc. So you see, this government is sacrificing Bektashism because of the problem of the Orthodox Church with the Pope.”