It Could Happen Here – "War Tourism in the Siege of Sarajevo"

Podcast: It Could Happen Here
Date: February 18, 2026
Panel: Mick (host), James Stout, Giorgio (Bosnian genocide researcher)
Main Topic: The documentary Sarajevo Safari and the broader context/allegations of “war tourism” during the Bosnian War

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the allegations highlighted by the documentary Sarajevo Safari, which details claims that, during the siege of Sarajevo, affluent foreign “tourists” paid to participate in shootings of civilians, including children. The discussion is grounded in the wider historical, political, and social context of the Bosnian War and explores the ongoing implications for justice and healing in Bosnia. The episode features expert insights from Giorgio, a Bosnian genocide researcher.

Key Sections and Discussion Points

1. Historical and Political Context (00:40–10:07)

• Yugoslavia's Fracture: Mick provides a comprehensive overview of the breakup of Yugoslavia, the rise of ethnic nationalism, and the sequence of events that led to the Bosnian War and the siege of Sarajevo.
  • Ethno-nationalism replaced Tito’s doctrine of “brotherhood and unity,” leading to ethnic-centric politics spearheaded by leaders like Slobodan Milosevic.
  • Mick explains the role of ethnic grievances and the context of ethnic cleansing campaigns.
  • Geography of Sarajevo made it especially vulnerable, with snipers controlling mountainous positions, cutting off supply routes, and blockading the city (“Sniper Alley”).

"The main accusation is that the army of Republika Srpska... charged lots of monies for tourists to come over and shoot at civilians, which is, yeah, obviously horrible."
— Mick (02:18)

"Defending Sarajevo was really difficult. The city lies between several mountains, which... made it very easy for Serbian forces to set up artillery, ordinance, and snipers."
— Mick (06:25)

2. Western Framing & International Responses (10:08–19:31)

• Narratives of Dehumanization: Giorgio comments on how Western right-wing rhetoric framed the war as a defense of “Christian Europe,” reinforcing centuries-old Islamophobia and enabling political inaction.
  • “Balkanization” and clash-of-civilization tropes normalized apathy toward the Bosniaks’ suffering.
  • Leftist parties in the West also dismissed intervention, sometimes buying into anti-Western discourses adopted by Milosevic’s regime.
  • Comparison is made to modern conflicts (Palestine, Syria, Myanmar) where similar dehumanizing or over-simplified narratives are deployed.

"The Bosnian Muslims, the Bosniaks, found themselves at this very peculiar intersection of oppression... a restoration of Christian Europe. This was what John Major... Mitterrand in France... Clinton administration... this inevitable clash between these perpetually fighting tribes in the Balkans."
— Giorgio (10:43)

"The reason I'm bringing this up is... it becomes more understandable how Bosnia was left to burn... while the genocide was being televised."
— Giorgio (14:27)

3. Ethnic and Religious Legacies; Genocidal Rhetoric (19:31–23:26)

• Legacy of Muslim Othering: The “restoration of Christian Europe” rhetoric was not new but revived old animosities.
  • Serbian nationalist propaganda referred to Bosniaks as “Turks,” “Islamists,” and “terrorists,” echoing Ottoman-era hostility.
  • This racist discourse was powerful mobilization for foreign far-right volunteers joining Serb forces.

"These legacies of this clash of civilizations... were reactivated by Serb forces. On some level, Western Europe was buying into it."
— Giorgio (19:31)

"When the General of the Republika Srpska, Radkomladic... says to the camera, 'we have come here to take revenge on the Turks.'"
— Giorgio (20:25)

4. Documentary Overview: Sarajevo Safari (24:29–27:11)

• Synopsis & Allegations: Giorgio summarizes Sarajevo Safari, by Slovenian filmmaker Miran Zupanič. The film alleges:
  • Affluent non-Bosnians (from the US, Canada, Russia, Italy, etc.) paid large sums for the opportunity to shoot civilians from sniper positions controlled by Republika Srpska soldiers.
  • Some paid more to target children.
  • Testimonies (incl. an anonymous intelligence agent) describe this as an “organized, secret operation.”
• Magnitude: Estimates that over 11,000 were killed by snipers in Sarajevo; the allegations of foreign complicity are deemed “huge.”

"It presents longstanding allegations that there was a form of war tourism taking place during the siege of Sarajevo..."
— Giorgio (24:50)

"One of the most shocking allegations... is that these non-Bosnian tourists... would pay even more money to shoot at children."
— Giorgio (26:14)

5. Skepticism and Shocking Reality (27:11–30:49)

• Initial Reaction: Both Mick and Giorgio express that while the details are shocking, they no longer seem surprising given the wider complicity and normalization of atrocity during the conflict.
  • Patterns of international and regional complicity—banks, volunteers, and governments—are laid out.
  • The phenomenon is linked to the broader “failure and complicity of the so-called international community.”

"I was shocked, but not surprised... the allegations of the documentary fall into this broader abject failure and complicity of the so-called international community..."
— Giorgio (28:07)

6. The Psychology and Politics of 'War Tourism’ (30:49–37:13)

• Why Foreigners Participated: Panelists debate motivations, including thrill-seeking versus ideological hatred, suggesting both intersect.
  • Giorgio links this to discourses that dehumanized Bosniaks as legitimate targets, which resonated with far-right groups across Europe.
  • Parallels are drawn to Myanmar and the genocide of the Rohingya.

"Would be remiss to try and detach the thrill of killing humans from who those humans are. That's my honest opinion."
— Giorgio (33:13)

"Discourses... are produced for a reason... to create this feeling of truth... it felt right to so many members of the far right to take up arms and hop on a plane... that is what they served to create."
— Giorgio (35:37)

7. Scope, Prosecution, and Survivor Perspectives (38:16–46:45)

• Other Sites: Allegations of “war tourism” extended to other Bosnian locations, but little evidence outside Sarajevo.
• Legal Action: Italy is currently prosecuting (latest: naming an 80-year-old truck driver as a suspect; a banker also implicated; Italian authorities had been informed as early as 1993 but closed the matter in 1994).
• Survivor Sentiments: Giorgio reads survivors’ mood as “no one cares what happened to us,” with documentaries bringing mixed feelings (awareness vs. cynicism about action and healing). Recognition rarely equates to reparations, accountability, or an end to daily pressures and prejudice.

"The general mood among survivors in Bosnia is that no one cares about what happened to us... There's a lot of cynicism around that."
— Giorgio (41:32)

8. Class and Motivation of Perpetrators (46:45–49:16)

• Profiles: Suspects include both working-class individuals and bankers, challenging stereotypes about who engaged in “war tourism.”
  • Both status and ideology (far-right networks, international social capital) were motivating factors.

"In terms of domestic participation, there was a lot of capital to be gained by serving the Republika Srpska project... There was an array of positions, capital that was created for people who had very little."
— Giorgio (48:09)

9. Paths to Solidarity & Anti-Nationalist Organizing (51:57–54:19)

• Giorgio recommends solidarity groups:
  • Bosnians for Palestine: On Instagram, drawing connections between violence in Bosnia and Palestine.
  • Ostra Mula: A multi-ethnic, anti-capitalist grassroots group in Republika Srpska combating ethno-nationalist corruption.
  • Sobering note that while visible activism exists, lived conditions and threats remain stark for survivors.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Western framing:

"Balkanization… this is what I'm talking about in terms of the intersection of dehumanization, exoticization and oppression that particularly Bosnia and the Muslims of Bosnia, Bosniaks have found themselves at."
— Giorgio (11:26)

• On complicity:

"That is why I'm not surprised. It's shocking. The content is shocking. The fact that it was able to happen is not surprising. And I think the documentary speaks to the broader complicity of so many layers of society in the atrocities that were being committed."
— Giorgio (28:23)

• On what motivates such violence:

"It would be remiss to try and detach the thrill of killing humans from who those humans are. That's my honest opinion."
— Giorgio (33:13)

• On justice and healing for survivors:

"The general mood among survivors in Bosnia is that no one cares about what happened to us. These films... there's a lot of cynicism around that... the notion of justice is so fraught in Bosnia as well."
— Giorgio (41:32)

• On ongoing violence:

"In the Republika Srpska entity, Bosniaks... face material precarity on an everyday basis. They face threats, they face genocide triumphalism... everyday violences don't go away because of a film."
— Giorgio (44:53)

• On the banality of evil:

"It's very important to then take into account that it can also be everyday people who are capable and willing to do something like this."
— Mick (49:59)

Key Takeaways

• The episode provides a detailed breakdown of the origins and consequences of the Bosnian War, emphasizing how ethnic and religious hatred was deliberately stoked for political and ideological ends.
• The Sarajevo Safari documentary’s allegations of “war tourism” reframe the siege’s horror in a way that shocks but also fits into the larger pattern of international normalization and complicity in atrocity.
• Survivors and their descendants continue to grapple with the aftermath, often feeling abandoned despite periodic attention from media or courts.
• Fascist ideologies and the thrill of violence were tightly intertwined. Both elites and ordinary citizens participated—there is no clear “profile” for evil.
• Ongoing activism in Bosnia connects to global struggles against ethno-nationalism and genocide.

Suggested Further Actions

• Follow Bosnians for Palestine and Ostra Mula on Instagram for updates and opportunities for solidarity.
• Approach accounts of atrocity and survivor testimony critically—ask what action is possible and who benefits from awareness.
• Remain vigilant for similar patterns of dehumanization and discursive manipulation in contemporary conflicts.

Timestamps

| Segment | Topic | |---------|-------| | 00:40 | Introductions, background on the hosts/guests | | 01:58 | Historical context: Yugoslavia’s breakup, rise of nationalism | | 10:08 | Western narratives, clash of civilizations, international response | | 24:29 | Return from break; Sarajevo Safari documentary and summary | | 28:07 | Panel’s reaction to the allegations and wider complicity | | 33:12 | Motivations for foreign war tourists | | 38:28 | Prosecutions, other alleged locations, survivor responses | | 46:45 | Details on current suspects and implications | | 51:57 | Solidarity, recommendations for organizing, wrap-up |

Tone: The conversation is forthright, empathetic, and unflinching; well-grounded in lived reality and historical knowledge, yet always returning to practical questions of justice and solidarity. No sensationalism—just a sober reckoning with past and ongoing violence.