OVO SE NE SME ZABORAVITI
THIS CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN
QUESTO NON SI PUO' DIMENTICARE
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/IMMAGINI/
krajina1995.jpg
--- (english / italiano) ---
La eliminazione dei serbi dalla Croazia
3: Otto anni dopo
A: CROAZIA: IN UN RAPPORTO LE STRAGI CONTRO I CIVILI SERBI/ANSA
B: In memory of over 250,000 Serbs expelled from their homes in Krajina
by Croatian forces (Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society)
C: Re: Letters to WT Re: Facing reality at the ICTY By JeffreyT. Kuhner
D: Comments on a National Post FAIR PLAY IN THE BALKANS article,
published July 28, 2003, and the issue of Gen. Gotovina
NOTE: Most materials used here have been forwarded to us by
minja@...
=== A ===
http://www.ansa.it/balcani/croazia/croazia.shtml
CROAZIA: IN UN RAPPORTO LE STRAGI CONTRO I CIVILI SERBI/ANSA
(ANSA) - ZAGABRIA, 24 LUG - Pulizia etnica della popolazione serba di
Croazia organizzata e in accordo con il nemico; uccisione di almeno 83
civili; saccheggi e numerose violazioni dei fondamentali diritti
umani: queste le principali accuse del Comitato di Helsinki croato
per i diritti umani (Hho) sull'offensiva dell'esercito di Zagabria
che nel maggio del 1995 permise alla Croazia di riprendere il
controllo della Slavonia occidentale, dal 1991 nelle mani dei
secessionisti serbi. I dirigenti dell'Hho Zarko Puhovski e Ranko
Helebrant, citati dall'agenzia di stampa Hina, hanno presentato oggi
il rapporto sull'operazione militare conosciuta sotto il nome
'Bljesak' ('Lampo') che contiene anche i nomi di 83 civili serbi
uccisi dall'esercito croato durante l'offensiva iniziata all'alba del
primo maggio 1995 e conclusasi 30 ore piu' tardi. Di questi, 53
furono uccisi nelle loro case, mentre altri 30 persero la vita nelle
incursioni croate contro colonne di profughi che fuggivano, assieme
ai militari serbi, verso la Bosnia. Puhovski ha detto che una parte
dei profughi, non precisandone il numero, e' stata eliminata dagli
stessi soldati serbi che in questo modo volevano facilitare il
ripiegamento. Secondo i dirigenti dell'Hho l'elenco degli 83 non e'
definitivo poiche' nel rapporto sono citati solo i casi verificati
da piu' fonti. Il massacro piu' grave e' avvenuto nel villaggio di
Medari, il primo in cui entrarono le forze croate, ''dove - ha detto
Helebrant - delle 24 persone rimaste sopravvissero solo due bambine,
salvate da un soldato che le ha riconosciute e non ha permesso che
venissero eliminate''. Il rapporto parla anche delle case serbe
saccheggiate dai soldati croati, mentre gli abitanti per due giorni
venivano tenuti lontano dai villaggi. Ai serbi non e' stato permesso
di seppellire i loro morti, seppelliti poi dall'esercito croato in
fosse comuni, molte delle quali rimaste non segnalate. ''L'esodo e
la pulizia etnica dei serbi della Slavonia occidentale avvenuta
durante l'operazione e' stata organizzata dai dirigenti croati e
serbi, ma anche da una parte della comunita' internazionale'' ha
detto Puhovski argomentando la tesi con il fatto che l'esodo sia
iniziato nel momento stesso in cui fu lanciata l'offensiva croata. In
tal senso Puhovski ha anche fatto notare che dalla zona della Bosnia
controllata dai serbi, che si trovava al confine con la Slavonia
occidentale, non sia stato sparato un solo colpo, mentre l'esercito
croato non ha preso alcuna misura di protezione contro un possibile
attacco serbo dalla Bosnia. Secondo i dati ufficiali di Zagabria
nell'operazione 'Lampo' hanno partecipato 7.200 soldati e poliziotti
croati, e 42 di loro hanno perso la vita. Le perdite serbe vengono
stimate a circa 450 uomini. Secondo fonti indipendenti soltanto 1.000
dei circa 13.000 serbi sono rimasti nella regione dopo questa
offensiva croata, alla quale, nell'agosto dello stesso anno, segui'
l'operazione 'Tempesta' che permise a Zagabria di riprendere il
controllo dell'intera regione della Krajina, durante il conflitto
serbo-croato (1991-1995) nelle mani dei secessionisti serbi. In
quell'occasione dal paese fuggirono altri 150.000 civili e almeno 150
furono uccisi. COR*VD
24/07/2003 17:03
=== B ===
[Note: We absolutely DISAGREE with shifting responsability of Croatian
crimes to Tito and the socialist Yugoslavia. This sort of revisionism
only contributes creating a distorted feeling and rewriting history, as
if the main culprits for nationalisms and divisions were those - like
Tito - who lead the most heroic and successful battles against
nationalisms and divisions. CNJ]
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
3662 Albion Rd. South,
Gloucester, Ontario, K1T 1A3
Remembering Krajina
August 4, 2003
In memory of over 250,000 Serbs
expelled from their homes in Krajina by Croatian forces
Eight years ago on this day, Croatian army, trained, aided and abetted
by NATO, murdered approximately 14,000 civilians in the most brutal
manner.
To this day, the disgraceful involvement of Western "democracies" in
this atrocity has remained secret and unpunished.
Expulsion of Serbs in 1995 was but a final step in the plan to make
Croatia an ethnically pure state devised by Ustashe - Nazi Croatian
forces who are responsible for the murdered of over one million Serbs
during W.W.II. This atrocity has remained secret and unpunished for
over 60 years due to the
efforts of Former Yugoslav Communists led by then President Tito.
Civil wars in former Yugoslavia in 1991-1999, have left well over one
million Serbs expelled from their homes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
On August 4, 2003 we will remember those victims, ignored and
forgotten by the world.
Stanko Vuleta,
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
=== C ===
Subject: Re: Letters to WT Re: Facing reality at the ICTY By JeffreyT.
Kuhner,
Date: Tue, 05 Aug 2003 12:47:19 -0400
From: Boba
Letter to the Editor :
letters@...
letters@...
Facing reality at the ICTY
By Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Aug. 8, 2003
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20030804-090706-1701r.htm
Letter to the Editor:
What do we have here? An extended PR company of Croatian government
among the editorial staff of Washington Times?
Mr. Kuhner looses his coolness when faced with reality of Croatian
crimes against Krajina Serbs from 1992-1995.
If the Washington Times agrees with his view or not it is up to the
editor and the owner of the newspaper. However, your readers deserve a
dose of a reality here.
The fact of a matter is that Serbs lived in the area of Krajina for
centuries, long before Croatia even became an independent country. It
is also true that Croat forces expelled in the most brutal way over
200.000 Serbs in one day only during the Croatian military action
called " Operation Storm". It is also true that Canadian forces fought
Croatian forces to save innocent Serb civilians in Medak pocket in
1993. It is considered to be
the most severe action Canadian troops have been involved in since the
Korean War. They became witness of a Croatian military campaign, which
was carried out with brutality, wanton murder, and indiscriminate
shelling of civilians.
Over 650.000 Serbs were ethically cleansed out of Croatia from 1992 to
1995.
An estimated number of 30.000 Serbs have returned to Croatia to find
their homes either burned or inhabited by others. There is no respect
for human rights for Serbs in Croatia -- thus Croatia achieve their
goal of a pure Croatian state that Ante Pavelic of Nazi Croatia and
Hitler could only promise.
The National Post (from Canada) was right in requesting general
Gotovina to be sent to the Hague. Now it is up to the Washington Times
to at least publish someone else's opinion on Croatian atrocities other
then Mr. Kuhner's.
Boba Borojevic
=== D ===
Subject: re "fair play in the balkans"
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 10:14:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: joann fredrick
To: letters@...
perhaps, using the same logic applied in 1999, 78 days of the bombing
of croatian schools, hospitals, day care centers, world heritage sites,
and the occasional tank are in order; excuse the hyperbole, but it is a
necessary prrelude for the following facts:
croatia was an illegal state in the 1990's; yugoslavia in the 1990's
was not
croatia has a long history of intolerance; yugoslavia does not have any
such history
croatia was an enemy of canadians during WW2, yugoslavia was an ally
croatia perpetrated unspeakable atrocities during WW2; yugoslavs,
especially serbs, were the victims
croatia turned over jews to the nazis or killed jews themselves;
yugoslavia protected them throughout the 1940's
even today, croatia uses the same fascist symbols it employed during
WW2, including its flag; the history of yugoslavia remains a symbol of
triumph against prejudice and fear
croatia worked with those who allied with so-called muslim
fundamentalists, some of whom were involved with those planning and
training for 9/11; yugoslavia tried to stop the onslaught of
intolerance from the days of prince lazar and into the 1990's
croatia and its allies tried to kill canadian peacekeepers; yugoslavs
never have done this
croatia did commit atrocities duriing the 1990s; the government of
yugoslavia had committed atrocities
yugoslavs historically were our friends, as they were america's
friends; many WW2 pilots talk of the risks undertaken by serbs to save
them- and we rewarded this historical and longstanding friendship by
making up stories about serbs killing innocent peopleand "punishing" a
criminal act which never existed. at the same time, we carry on
relations with croatia.
there can be no "fair play" in the balkans unless canada apologizes and
makes amends for its culpability in the murder of innocent yugoslavs
disguised as "humanitarian intervention"....and as long as your
newspaper and other mainstream media continue to obfuscate the truth,
"fair play in the balkans" will always remain an oxymoron
chris soda
---
Subject: National Post // FAIR PLAY IN THE BALKANS, July 28, 2003
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 00:43:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Slobodanka Borojevic
National Post
To the Editor: letters@...
Re: FAIR PLAY IN THE BALKANS, July 28, 2003
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/site/story.asp?id=16FDB7EB-31E2-
474B-B550-5251F6748B29
Your article "Fair play in the Balkans" is a perfect example how to
write an article about war crimes and remain kind toward the
perpetrator of these crimes.
There is a real prejudice against the Serbs not only in academia, but
also in media and the Western political circles.
Over 250,000 Krajina Serbs were ethnically cleansed from their
ancestral homes and those too old or infirm to flee remained only to
have their throats slit by the Croatian forces during the "Opration
Storm" in 1995.
It was military aid and technology provided by the Clinton
Administration, on the advice of Madeleine Albright and Richard
Holbrooke, that made it possible for Croatian forces to conduct
"Operation Storm" in order to achieve their goal of a pure Croatian
state that Hitler could only promise.
No general media outrage to what was described in Newsweek (April 5,
1999) as "the largest ethnic cleansing of the entire Balkan wars.
Investigators with the war-crimes tribunal in The Hague have concluded
that this campaign was carried out with brutality, wanton murder and
indiscriminate
shelling of civilians . . ."
In his book "To end a War" Richard Holbrooke said about the August
1995 Croat offensive against the Serbian Krajina, that during one
meeting with Croatian officials, Robert Frasure had handed Holbrooke a
note (describing the operation of Croat forces in Krajina): "Dick: We
"hired" these guys to be our junkyard dogs because we were desperate.
We need to try to
"control" them."
In June 2001, Carla del Ponte from the Hague Tribunal issued an
indictment for Croatian Gen. Ante Gotovina on charges that he exercised
"command responsibility" over the 1995 military operation.
Gen. Gotovina for his part insisted that Operation Storm had been
conducted in cooperation with the US army and Clinton administration.
It is well known that the Pentagon endorsed a contract between MPRI--
Military Professional Resource Inc, which was staffed by former US
generals and the Croatian
army.
Approximately 650,000 Serbs have been driven out of Croatia since 1992
with little prospect of ever returning.
The late Zoran Djindjic (and not Vojislav Kostunica) handed over
Milosevic to the Hague. While Djindji's followers continue hunting
Serbs on behalf of ICT and the 'international community", Croatia has
refused to hand over any of its generals accused by the Tribunal for
the most brutal murders and the greatest ethnic cleansing of the
late-20th century.
Boba Borojevic
30 Walgate Ave - Ottawa, ON. - Canada
---
Da: "D. Dostanic"
Data: Lun 28 Lug 2003 16:18:11 Europe/Rome
A: Ova adresa el. pošte je zaštićena od spambotova. Omogućite JavaScript da biste je videli.
Oggetto: NPost: Fair play in the Balkans
http://www.nationalpost.com/commentary/story.html?id=16FDB7EB-31E2-
474B-B550-5251F6748B29
NATIONAL POST, Monday, July 28, 2003 EDITORIAL
Fair play in the Balkans
Eight years ago, Canadian peacekeepers witnessed one of the late 20th
century's most brutal attempts at ethnic cleansing. In August, 1995,
over a span of just 64 hours, Croatian soldiers forced 200,000 Serbs
from their homes in Croatia -- the largest single act of ethnic
cleansing of all the Balkan wars between 1991 and 1995. The military
action -- dubbed Operation Storm -- involved the Croats' entire
100,000-man army. Canadian soldiers stationed in the area documented
the Croats' efficiency. Colonel Andrew Leslie, for example, reported
that of the 40,000 people who lived in the Serb stronghold of Knin,
barely 1,000 remained once the operation ended.
It took some time, but two years ago, the UN's International Criminal
Tribunal (ICT) began seriously looking into claims regarding war crimes
committed during Operation Storm. In 2001, the ICT issued an indictment
against Ante Gotovina, a Croatian general with an allegedly central
role in the operation. But Gen. Gotovina promptly went underground.
Lawyers working on his behalf say he is willing to answer questions
from the ICT -- but only if it first drops its indictment.
Unfortunately, the Croatian government has failed to fully co-operate
in bringing Gen. Gotovina to justice. Though the Croatian Interior
Ministry has issued a warrant for his arrest (and a bounty of $80,000
for information leading to his arrest), authorities have done little to
apprehend him. One reason for this is that ultra-nationalist Croats see
the general as a hero. In May, Gen. Gotovina even had the audacity to
send an official message of support to a gathering of 15,000 Croatian
nationalists. They had met to mourn the death of Janko Bobetko, another
general who defied an ICT order to answer questions about his own
involvement in possible crimes against humanity by Croatian forces.
The case of Gen. Gotovina is important not only as a matter of justice,
but of politics as well. The Croats and Serbs have had their share of
murderous feuds, and the Serbs would be understandably outraged if the
world community aggressively prosecuted allegations of Serb atrocities
while passing over those in which Serbs were victims. In 2001, the ICT
formally demanded that the Serbs force former Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic to appear for trial on charges of war crimes. NATO
member states, including Canada and the United States, put a full-court
press on the Serbs to hand Mr. Milosevic over -- and even made his
handover a condition of economic aid. As a result, Mr. Milosevic's
successor, Vojislav Kostunica, duly served him up to The Hague.
Those same NATO states should make a similar effort to get Croatia to
secure Gen. Gotovina. He's been allowed to run free long enough.
letters@...
THIS CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN
QUESTO NON SI PUO' DIMENTICARE
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/files/IMMAGINI/
krajina1995.jpg
--- (english / italiano) ---
La eliminazione dei serbi dalla Croazia
3: Otto anni dopo
A: CROAZIA: IN UN RAPPORTO LE STRAGI CONTRO I CIVILI SERBI/ANSA
B: In memory of over 250,000 Serbs expelled from their homes in Krajina
by Croatian forces (Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society)
C: Re: Letters to WT Re: Facing reality at the ICTY By JeffreyT. Kuhner
D: Comments on a National Post FAIR PLAY IN THE BALKANS article,
published July 28, 2003, and the issue of Gen. Gotovina
NOTE: Most materials used here have been forwarded to us by
minja@...
=== A ===
http://www.ansa.it/balcani/croazia/croazia.shtml
CROAZIA: IN UN RAPPORTO LE STRAGI CONTRO I CIVILI SERBI/ANSA
(ANSA) - ZAGABRIA, 24 LUG - Pulizia etnica della popolazione serba di
Croazia organizzata e in accordo con il nemico; uccisione di almeno 83
civili; saccheggi e numerose violazioni dei fondamentali diritti
umani: queste le principali accuse del Comitato di Helsinki croato
per i diritti umani (Hho) sull'offensiva dell'esercito di Zagabria
che nel maggio del 1995 permise alla Croazia di riprendere il
controllo della Slavonia occidentale, dal 1991 nelle mani dei
secessionisti serbi. I dirigenti dell'Hho Zarko Puhovski e Ranko
Helebrant, citati dall'agenzia di stampa Hina, hanno presentato oggi
il rapporto sull'operazione militare conosciuta sotto il nome
'Bljesak' ('Lampo') che contiene anche i nomi di 83 civili serbi
uccisi dall'esercito croato durante l'offensiva iniziata all'alba del
primo maggio 1995 e conclusasi 30 ore piu' tardi. Di questi, 53
furono uccisi nelle loro case, mentre altri 30 persero la vita nelle
incursioni croate contro colonne di profughi che fuggivano, assieme
ai militari serbi, verso la Bosnia. Puhovski ha detto che una parte
dei profughi, non precisandone il numero, e' stata eliminata dagli
stessi soldati serbi che in questo modo volevano facilitare il
ripiegamento. Secondo i dirigenti dell'Hho l'elenco degli 83 non e'
definitivo poiche' nel rapporto sono citati solo i casi verificati
da piu' fonti. Il massacro piu' grave e' avvenuto nel villaggio di
Medari, il primo in cui entrarono le forze croate, ''dove - ha detto
Helebrant - delle 24 persone rimaste sopravvissero solo due bambine,
salvate da un soldato che le ha riconosciute e non ha permesso che
venissero eliminate''. Il rapporto parla anche delle case serbe
saccheggiate dai soldati croati, mentre gli abitanti per due giorni
venivano tenuti lontano dai villaggi. Ai serbi non e' stato permesso
di seppellire i loro morti, seppelliti poi dall'esercito croato in
fosse comuni, molte delle quali rimaste non segnalate. ''L'esodo e
la pulizia etnica dei serbi della Slavonia occidentale avvenuta
durante l'operazione e' stata organizzata dai dirigenti croati e
serbi, ma anche da una parte della comunita' internazionale'' ha
detto Puhovski argomentando la tesi con il fatto che l'esodo sia
iniziato nel momento stesso in cui fu lanciata l'offensiva croata. In
tal senso Puhovski ha anche fatto notare che dalla zona della Bosnia
controllata dai serbi, che si trovava al confine con la Slavonia
occidentale, non sia stato sparato un solo colpo, mentre l'esercito
croato non ha preso alcuna misura di protezione contro un possibile
attacco serbo dalla Bosnia. Secondo i dati ufficiali di Zagabria
nell'operazione 'Lampo' hanno partecipato 7.200 soldati e poliziotti
croati, e 42 di loro hanno perso la vita. Le perdite serbe vengono
stimate a circa 450 uomini. Secondo fonti indipendenti soltanto 1.000
dei circa 13.000 serbi sono rimasti nella regione dopo questa
offensiva croata, alla quale, nell'agosto dello stesso anno, segui'
l'operazione 'Tempesta' che permise a Zagabria di riprendere il
controllo dell'intera regione della Krajina, durante il conflitto
serbo-croato (1991-1995) nelle mani dei secessionisti serbi. In
quell'occasione dal paese fuggirono altri 150.000 civili e almeno 150
furono uccisi. COR*VD
24/07/2003 17:03
=== B ===
[Note: We absolutely DISAGREE with shifting responsability of Croatian
crimes to Tito and the socialist Yugoslavia. This sort of revisionism
only contributes creating a distorted feeling and rewriting history, as
if the main culprits for nationalisms and divisions were those - like
Tito - who lead the most heroic and successful battles against
nationalisms and divisions. CNJ]
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
3662 Albion Rd. South,
Gloucester, Ontario, K1T 1A3
Remembering Krajina
August 4, 2003
In memory of over 250,000 Serbs
expelled from their homes in Krajina by Croatian forces
Eight years ago on this day, Croatian army, trained, aided and abetted
by NATO, murdered approximately 14,000 civilians in the most brutal
manner.
To this day, the disgraceful involvement of Western "democracies" in
this atrocity has remained secret and unpunished.
Expulsion of Serbs in 1995 was but a final step in the plan to make
Croatia an ethnically pure state devised by Ustashe - Nazi Croatian
forces who are responsible for the murdered of over one million Serbs
during W.W.II. This atrocity has remained secret and unpunished for
over 60 years due to the
efforts of Former Yugoslav Communists led by then President Tito.
Civil wars in former Yugoslavia in 1991-1999, have left well over one
million Serbs expelled from their homes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
On August 4, 2003 we will remember those victims, ignored and
forgotten by the world.
Stanko Vuleta,
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
=== C ===
Subject: Re: Letters to WT Re: Facing reality at the ICTY By JeffreyT.
Kuhner,
Date: Tue, 05 Aug 2003 12:47:19 -0400
From: Boba
Letter to the Editor :
letters@...
letters@...
Facing reality at the ICTY
By Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Aug. 8, 2003
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20030804-090706-1701r.htm
Letter to the Editor:
What do we have here? An extended PR company of Croatian government
among the editorial staff of Washington Times?
Mr. Kuhner looses his coolness when faced with reality of Croatian
crimes against Krajina Serbs from 1992-1995.
If the Washington Times agrees with his view or not it is up to the
editor and the owner of the newspaper. However, your readers deserve a
dose of a reality here.
The fact of a matter is that Serbs lived in the area of Krajina for
centuries, long before Croatia even became an independent country. It
is also true that Croat forces expelled in the most brutal way over
200.000 Serbs in one day only during the Croatian military action
called " Operation Storm". It is also true that Canadian forces fought
Croatian forces to save innocent Serb civilians in Medak pocket in
1993. It is considered to be
the most severe action Canadian troops have been involved in since the
Korean War. They became witness of a Croatian military campaign, which
was carried out with brutality, wanton murder, and indiscriminate
shelling of civilians.
Over 650.000 Serbs were ethically cleansed out of Croatia from 1992 to
1995.
An estimated number of 30.000 Serbs have returned to Croatia to find
their homes either burned or inhabited by others. There is no respect
for human rights for Serbs in Croatia -- thus Croatia achieve their
goal of a pure Croatian state that Ante Pavelic of Nazi Croatia and
Hitler could only promise.
The National Post (from Canada) was right in requesting general
Gotovina to be sent to the Hague. Now it is up to the Washington Times
to at least publish someone else's opinion on Croatian atrocities other
then Mr. Kuhner's.
Boba Borojevic
=== D ===
Subject: re "fair play in the balkans"
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 10:14:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: joann fredrick
To: letters@...
perhaps, using the same logic applied in 1999, 78 days of the bombing
of croatian schools, hospitals, day care centers, world heritage sites,
and the occasional tank are in order; excuse the hyperbole, but it is a
necessary prrelude for the following facts:
croatia was an illegal state in the 1990's; yugoslavia in the 1990's
was not
croatia has a long history of intolerance; yugoslavia does not have any
such history
croatia was an enemy of canadians during WW2, yugoslavia was an ally
croatia perpetrated unspeakable atrocities during WW2; yugoslavs,
especially serbs, were the victims
croatia turned over jews to the nazis or killed jews themselves;
yugoslavia protected them throughout the 1940's
even today, croatia uses the same fascist symbols it employed during
WW2, including its flag; the history of yugoslavia remains a symbol of
triumph against prejudice and fear
croatia worked with those who allied with so-called muslim
fundamentalists, some of whom were involved with those planning and
training for 9/11; yugoslavia tried to stop the onslaught of
intolerance from the days of prince lazar and into the 1990's
croatia and its allies tried to kill canadian peacekeepers; yugoslavs
never have done this
croatia did commit atrocities duriing the 1990s; the government of
yugoslavia had committed atrocities
yugoslavs historically were our friends, as they were america's
friends; many WW2 pilots talk of the risks undertaken by serbs to save
them- and we rewarded this historical and longstanding friendship by
making up stories about serbs killing innocent peopleand "punishing" a
criminal act which never existed. at the same time, we carry on
relations with croatia.
there can be no "fair play" in the balkans unless canada apologizes and
makes amends for its culpability in the murder of innocent yugoslavs
disguised as "humanitarian intervention"....and as long as your
newspaper and other mainstream media continue to obfuscate the truth,
"fair play in the balkans" will always remain an oxymoron
chris soda
---
Subject: National Post // FAIR PLAY IN THE BALKANS, July 28, 2003
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 00:43:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Slobodanka Borojevic
National Post
To the Editor: letters@...
Re: FAIR PLAY IN THE BALKANS, July 28, 2003
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/site/story.asp?id=16FDB7EB-31E2-
474B-B550-5251F6748B29
Your article "Fair play in the Balkans" is a perfect example how to
write an article about war crimes and remain kind toward the
perpetrator of these crimes.
There is a real prejudice against the Serbs not only in academia, but
also in media and the Western political circles.
Over 250,000 Krajina Serbs were ethnically cleansed from their
ancestral homes and those too old or infirm to flee remained only to
have their throats slit by the Croatian forces during the "Opration
Storm" in 1995.
It was military aid and technology provided by the Clinton
Administration, on the advice of Madeleine Albright and Richard
Holbrooke, that made it possible for Croatian forces to conduct
"Operation Storm" in order to achieve their goal of a pure Croatian
state that Hitler could only promise.
No general media outrage to what was described in Newsweek (April 5,
1999) as "the largest ethnic cleansing of the entire Balkan wars.
Investigators with the war-crimes tribunal in The Hague have concluded
that this campaign was carried out with brutality, wanton murder and
indiscriminate
shelling of civilians . . ."
In his book "To end a War" Richard Holbrooke said about the August
1995 Croat offensive against the Serbian Krajina, that during one
meeting with Croatian officials, Robert Frasure had handed Holbrooke a
note (describing the operation of Croat forces in Krajina): "Dick: We
"hired" these guys to be our junkyard dogs because we were desperate.
We need to try to
"control" them."
In June 2001, Carla del Ponte from the Hague Tribunal issued an
indictment for Croatian Gen. Ante Gotovina on charges that he exercised
"command responsibility" over the 1995 military operation.
Gen. Gotovina for his part insisted that Operation Storm had been
conducted in cooperation with the US army and Clinton administration.
It is well known that the Pentagon endorsed a contract between MPRI--
Military Professional Resource Inc, which was staffed by former US
generals and the Croatian
army.
Approximately 650,000 Serbs have been driven out of Croatia since 1992
with little prospect of ever returning.
The late Zoran Djindjic (and not Vojislav Kostunica) handed over
Milosevic to the Hague. While Djindji's followers continue hunting
Serbs on behalf of ICT and the 'international community", Croatia has
refused to hand over any of its generals accused by the Tribunal for
the most brutal murders and the greatest ethnic cleansing of the
late-20th century.
Boba Borojevic
30 Walgate Ave - Ottawa, ON. - Canada
---
Da: "D. Dostanic"
Data: Lun 28 Lug 2003 16:18:11 Europe/Rome
A: Ova adresa el. pošte je zaštićena od spambotova. Omogućite JavaScript da biste je videli.
Oggetto: NPost: Fair play in the Balkans
http://www.nationalpost.com/commentary/story.html?id=16FDB7EB-31E2-
474B-B550-5251F6748B29
NATIONAL POST, Monday, July 28, 2003 EDITORIAL
Fair play in the Balkans
Eight years ago, Canadian peacekeepers witnessed one of the late 20th
century's most brutal attempts at ethnic cleansing. In August, 1995,
over a span of just 64 hours, Croatian soldiers forced 200,000 Serbs
from their homes in Croatia -- the largest single act of ethnic
cleansing of all the Balkan wars between 1991 and 1995. The military
action -- dubbed Operation Storm -- involved the Croats' entire
100,000-man army. Canadian soldiers stationed in the area documented
the Croats' efficiency. Colonel Andrew Leslie, for example, reported
that of the 40,000 people who lived in the Serb stronghold of Knin,
barely 1,000 remained once the operation ended.
It took some time, but two years ago, the UN's International Criminal
Tribunal (ICT) began seriously looking into claims regarding war crimes
committed during Operation Storm. In 2001, the ICT issued an indictment
against Ante Gotovina, a Croatian general with an allegedly central
role in the operation. But Gen. Gotovina promptly went underground.
Lawyers working on his behalf say he is willing to answer questions
from the ICT -- but only if it first drops its indictment.
Unfortunately, the Croatian government has failed to fully co-operate
in bringing Gen. Gotovina to justice. Though the Croatian Interior
Ministry has issued a warrant for his arrest (and a bounty of $80,000
for information leading to his arrest), authorities have done little to
apprehend him. One reason for this is that ultra-nationalist Croats see
the general as a hero. In May, Gen. Gotovina even had the audacity to
send an official message of support to a gathering of 15,000 Croatian
nationalists. They had met to mourn the death of Janko Bobetko, another
general who defied an ICT order to answer questions about his own
involvement in possible crimes against humanity by Croatian forces.
The case of Gen. Gotovina is important not only as a matter of justice,
but of politics as well. The Croats and Serbs have had their share of
murderous feuds, and the Serbs would be understandably outraged if the
world community aggressively prosecuted allegations of Serb atrocities
while passing over those in which Serbs were victims. In 2001, the ICT
formally demanded that the Serbs force former Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic to appear for trial on charges of war crimes. NATO
member states, including Canada and the United States, put a full-court
press on the Serbs to hand Mr. Milosevic over -- and even made his
handover a condition of economic aid. As a result, Mr. Milosevic's
successor, Vojislav Kostunica, duly served him up to The Hague.
Those same NATO states should make a similar effort to get Croatia to
secure Gen. Gotovina. He's been allowed to run free long enough.
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