CEREMONIAL RETURN
Friends Await Zvonko Busic
Around 500 citizens carried Croatian flags, sang patriotic songs, and chanted Busic’s name.
Around 500 friends, acquaintances and supporters greeted Zvonko Busic at Zagreb’s airport. Unfortunately, a few people managed to start chanting “Za dom spremni” ("ready for the homeland" (*)), but were soon hushed quiet, and Busic himself, upon arriving, asked those present to not shout Ustasha greetings.
"Do not let me be ashamed of you, but make me proud of you," said Busic clearly.
Amongst the many visitors were Frane Pesut, Slobodan Vlasic and Petar Matanic, participants of the hijacking of the American aircraft on a flight from New York to Chicago.
"What should I say to you, I am overjoyed, I hardly awaited this moment," said Frane Pesut with tears of joy in his eyes.
During a conversation, he stated that he knows nothing about the organization of the hijacking, because he believed Zvonko Busic and his associates that he was bringing a real bomb into the plane.
Marijan Bosnjak, somebody that knows and respects what he calls a selfless sacrifice by a Croatian hero, said that Busic decided to sacrifice himself for what he believes in.
"Zvonko wanted to attract the attention of the world to the suffering of one small people. Actions like those of Busic, raised the spirits of Croatians in the Diaspora. That event gained the attention of the whole world, and the punishment was absolutely too strict. They did not want anyone to get hurt, that action was the answer to the repression in Yugoslavia," considers Bosnjak.
"I am beside myself from happiness. The big thing is that he (Busic) can return to a independent country, and if it will remain independent is its own choice," said Benjamin Tolic.
The event was also attended by Father Vjekoslav Lasic, who before coming to the airport, paid respects to the remains of Dinko Sakic (**) at the crematorium.
"I came to greet the Croatian legend Zvonko Busic, who I visited a number of times in prison. The sentence was too strong, and he lay innocent in the USA," said Vjekoslav Lasic.
Marijan Buconjic, Busic’s roommate in New York, considers that Zvonko’s act was justified, and that he managed to show that Yugoslavia was repressive towards Croatians.
Drazen Budisa, the representative of the Busic family, held a welcoming speech in which he said that Zvonko and his associated deeply regretted the innocent victim, the police officer Brian Murray, but that they did not want anyone to get hurt. An unfortunate turn of events was in question. He wished Busic and his wife peace and freedom in their life in Croatia.
"I also fought for the independence of Croatia. I came as a Croatian convict, to greet a Croatian convict," said Anto Kovacevic who was also there.
Busic was protected by strong police security and bodyguards that were hired by the veterans’ associations. That security managed to, with great difficulty, restrain the many people gathered there to greet Busic.
(* Hystorical hymn of the fascist ustascia movement. "Pronti per la Patria", Inno del movimento nazifascista degli ustascia. NdCNJ)
(** A notorious, high-rank ustasha criminal in the 40ies. Tristemente noto criminale ustascia di alto livello negli anni '40. NdCNJ)
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ALTRA DOCUMENTAZIONE SUL TERRORISMO USTASCIA NEL CORSO DELLA GUERRA FREDDA / MORE DOCUMENTS ON USTASHI TERRORISM DURING THE COLD WAR PERIOD:
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On Jul 29, 2008, at 9:48 AM, Coord. Naz. per la Jugoslavia wrote:
RITORNA VINCITORDopo 30 anni di detenzione negli USA, il terrorista ustascia Zvonko Busic è rientrato nella sua Croazia.Nel 1976 si era reso responsabile di un tentativo di dirottamento aereo, causando la morte di un agente di polizia e l'accecamento di un altro all'aereoporto di New York.L'azione - come tantissime altre commesse dagli ustascia esuli all'estero in quegli anni - aveva come obiettivo quello di attirare l'attenzione pubblica sulla causa croata.Oggi Busic torna in Croazia da trionfatore, essendo stato conseguito l'obiettivo per cui lui ed i suoi camerati all'estero avevano commesso crimini nel corso della guerra fredda: la distruzione della Jugoslavia e la instaurazione di uno Stato etnico croato.Come nel caso del Kosovo, anche nel caso della Croazia l'Occidente ha premiato il terrorismo fascista.(a cura di Italo Slavo per JUGOINFO)---http://www.cnj.it/documentazione/ustascia.htmCroat terrorist back to Croatia after serving 30 years in USAssociated Press - July 24, 2008ZAGREB, Croatia - A Croatian news agency says aconvicted plane hijacker is returning to Croatia afterserving 30 years in jail in the United States.The state-run agency HINA quoted the wife of ZvonkoBusic as saying he would return Thursday after beinggranted parole for hijacking a TWA flight in 1976.Busic led the group of hijackers to draw attention toCroatia's struggle for independence from communistYugoslavia and later surrendered.But a bomb they stashed in a locker at New York'sGrand Central Terminal exploded when police tried todefuse it, killing one officer and blinding a second.Busic, revered by some in Croatia as a hero, wasconvicted in 1977 of air piracy and granted paroleearlier this month.