"I am here because I think it was a terrible sin of the west to allow those years of war"

This quote by Paddy Ashdown is a profound reflection on the West's political and ethical obligations during periods of conflict, likely referencing the wars in the Balkans during the 1990s, a period in which Ashdown was heavily included both politically and personally. Ashdown, a former Royal Marine, British political leader, and later, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, was deeply engaged with the issues surrounding the collapse of Yugoslavia and the subsequent wars, including the Bosnian War (1992-1995).

"I am here because I think it was a terrible sin of the west to allow those years of war" recommends a number of layers of interpretation. First of all, it implies a strong review of Western countries' inaction or insufficient responses to the intensifying violence and humanitarian crises in the Balkans. Ashdown, through his statement, underscores his belief that the West, having significant political and military power, had a moral responsibility to step in earlier and more decisively to prevent the prevalent atrocities and human suffering that defined these wars.

The word "sin" is especially effective, representing a moral failure rather than a mere political miscalculation. This choice of language suggests that Ashdown saw the West's failure to act not simply as a strategic mistake, but as a profound ethical lapse that opposes the concepts of human rights and intervention that numerous Western nations profess to maintain.

Moreover, Ashdown's existence in the region, recommended by "I am here", reflects his individual dedication to this cause. His usage of the first person highlights a specific duty and maybe a desire to rectify or atone for these cumulative failures through his work.

This statement can be viewed as a call for self-questioning and responsibility within the international community concerning its roles and duties in the face of humanitarian crises. Ashdown's words continue to resonate as a suggestion of the requirement for prompt and effective global intervention in similar circumstances to prevent extended human suffering and dispute.