Over 100 Dutchbat veterans claim compensation for "impossible Srebrenica mission"

More than 100 Dutchbat III veterans reported to claim compensation from the Dutch government. According to them, they were sent on an "already impossible mission" when they were ordered to protect the inhabitants of Bosnian enclave Srebrenica in 1995, NOS reports. The case was first opened in June, when 12 Dutchbat veterans filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government. Since then dozens of others also asked to join the lawsuit, the lawyers representing them said to news wire ANP. According to the lawyers, the government acted "seriously negligently and carelessly" and as a result the Dutchbat battalion spent 20 years of their lives held accountable for the failure of the mission and the massacre of thousands of Muslim men and boys. Due to this they suffered irreparable emotional and economic damage. The lawyers believe that Defense's existing compensation scheme is insufficient in this case. In 1995 the Dutch peacekeeping soldiers were unable to stand against Bosnian Serb forces. Srebrenica fell, inhabitants were taken away and eventually 8,400 Muslim boys and men were killed.