Date: September 12, 1991
Author: Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Croatia)
Addressed to: President George H. W. Bush, The White House, Washington D.C.
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part4.pdf
About This Letter
Written in September 1991, as Croatia faced relentless bombardment and civilian attacks, this early appeal from Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi was directed to President George H. W. Bush, imploring the United States to recognize the unfolding humanitarian disaster and intervene for peace.
The letter, written collectively by “the desperate mothers of the Republic of Croatia,” describes the horrors of war in unflinching terms — sons killed daily, civilians targeted, homes and hospitals destroyed, and entire villages forced into exile. The tone is both urgent and profoundly human, pleading not for political favor but for moral intervention.
“We, the desperate mothers, beg for peace for our children, for our people — today, for tomorrow it will be too late.”
The authors express faith in America’s democratic leadership and appeal to Bush’s conscience as the “President of the leading democratic and free world.” The letter closes with a stark warning: if the world delays, “there may soon be no one left in Croatia to answer.”
The White House response, sent six days later by Special Assistant Shirley M. Green, acknowledges their message and affirms that the United States “has spoken out strongly against Serbian attempts to occupy or annex portions of the Republic of Croatia.” Though diplomatically measured, the reply offers little reassurance that stronger action would follow — a reflection of the hesitant Western stance during the early phase of the war.
