Date: March 1, 1993
Author: Valentina Krčmar, Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Toronto Chapter)
Addressed to: President Bill Clinton, The White House, Washington, D.C.
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part74.pdf
About This Letter
In this letter dated March 1, 1993, Valentina Krčmar, writing on behalf of Mothers for Peace (Bedem Ljubavi), appeals directly to U.S. President Bill Clinton to intervene in the escalating tragedy of the Balkan War. The letter was written shortly after reports in The Toronto Star revealed an alarming development — Russia’s sale of weapons to Serbia — at a time when the United States was risking American pilots’ lives to deliver food to starving civilians in Bosnia.
Krčmar’s words combine gratitude and desperation. She acknowledges the humanitarian efforts of the United States while condemning the global hypocrisy that allows one superpower to feed the victims while another supplies their killers.
“At the time when the United States of America is risking the lives of their pilots to deliver food to the starving population of Bosnia, Russia sells the arms (missiles) to the side that already has an arsenal, and is using it liberally.”
Her tone shifts from disbelief to urgency as she implores President Clinton to act decisively — to halt the arms sales and hold Russia accountable for fueling the conflict. The stakes, she writes, could not be higher:
“If Serbia manages to get the arms in their hands, the fate of Croatia and Bosnia is death and ruin.”
Krčmar closes with a personal appeal for a meeting, emphasizing that the organization holds documents that may be of importance to the President. It is a testament to her relentless advocacy that, even amid despair, she insists on dialogue, on bearing witness, and on ensuring that the voices of Croatian and Bosnian families reach the world’s most powerful leaders.
“Please, Mr. President, we need to see you.”
This letter captures a moment when moral urgency and political realism collided — when ordinary citizens like Krčmar refused to accept silence from the international community as the Balkans burned.
