The United Nations’ Dutch battalion promised to protect the Muslims there, even though it was in no position to do so. It was a promise that partly reflected the feeling of guilt that still haunts the Dutch for looking the other way as the Germans rounded up and deported two-thirds of their country’s Jewish population to death camps.
在某种程度上，斯雷布雷尼察屠杀也受到了二战记忆的影响。虽然实际上无能为力，但驻当地的荷兰派驻联合国部队却依然承诺会保护当地的穆斯林。事实上荷兰人一直被一种负罪感所困扰着，因为当年他们坐视德国人将本国2/3的犹太人口抓起来并押解到死亡集中营，而这一承诺恰恰也反映了这一种困扰。他们认为这次会跟以往不同，决心这次不会无动于衷。谁知在姆拉迪奇的优势兵力威胁下，荷兰人只得拱手将斯雷布雷尼察送上了死路。