Behind Enemy Lines Analysis

Evoked by the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, the Bosnian War is a clear representation of ethnic conflict gone horribly wrong. Spanning from 1992 to 1995, it demonstrated on of the worst displays of mass ethnic cleansing in Europe since World War II. Mainly perpetrated against Bosniaks by the Serbs, the Bosnian War left the country of Bosnia in ruins and left millions displaced and thousands killed. John Moore’s Behind Enemy Lines portrays the final days of the war as an American navigator attempts to get out of dangerous enemy territory. Due to the fact that this film focuses on the experiences of US soldiers and that slight differences are made between this movie and the historical event, the connections between the two are not always very
These malicious acts were used as a way to change the ethnic makeup of the area, by impregnating women with Serbian babies so as to create a larger Serbian population in the future and drive out the Bosniaks and Croats. Rape was simply another strategy used in their overall goal of ethnically cleansing Bosnia and overtaking the land as Serbian territory. It is believed that up to 60,000 women were raped in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995(*), but the number may be much higher as many rape victims do not come forward due to the shame and humiliation they feel. Many witnesses recount events of the systematic rape, and often murder, of women and girls during the time by the Serbian military (*). There is also mention of specific ‘rape camps’ through the country that held women and girls of all ages who were repeatedly raped by soldiers. Unfortunately, tactical rape is a common occurence in war zones but it was not until 1992 that the UN Security Council declared widespread rape to be an international crime, specifically noting the Muslim women in Bosnia (*). Later, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia cited rape as a crime against humanity, equal with such acts as torture and murder, and added sexual slavery under the definition of slavery (*). The act of rape as a military tactic is in direct interference with article 5 of the UDHR, which states that no one shall be subjected to cruel or degrading treatment. In Behind Enemy Lines, there is no direct mention made to the widespread rape committed by the Serbians which is a shame because it was such a large issue during this time. Given the fact that this movie takes place towards the end of the war and focuses on the involvement of US soldiers, it misses out on some very key and important aspects of the Bosnian