Letter to the Women of Srebrenica, Bosnia, on the Anniversary of the Fall of Srebrenica

To the Women of Srebrenica:

Today you have come together because of a horrible, tragic event that changed your lives forever. There can be no justification for the barbaric terror you and your loved ones endured, or for the losses you continue to suffer.

Over these past four long years, the United States has joined the international community sending humanitarian aid and later 20,000 peacekeepers. We have rebuilt roads and bridges. Now we are creating a commission to help you find your missing boys and men. And we are sending $5,000,000 to help you start businesses and get back on your feet economically.

These things we can do. But we know that it will take you, from the inside, to repair the fabric of life that has been ripped into shreds by aggression and hate.

And so the thoughts of our nation are with you as you gather in Tuzla not only to remember the past, but to shape your new future. The world is watching with deep admiration as you have invited women across Bosnia-Herzegovina to join you, reaching out across the lines drawn by war, to create a future of compassion and hope.

Hillary and I believe strongly in your mission to reunite your country. We applaud your courage, your strength, and your wisdom. We stand with you today in spirit, to say, "You are not alone."

BILL CLINTON