Croatia: Renewed Aggression And Hatred From Serbia – Alarms

 

Vicious and Indicted Serb War Criminal  Vojislav Seselj Burns the Croatian Flag in Belgrade

Vicious and Indicted Serb War Criminal
Vojislav Seselj
Burns the Croatian Flag in Belgrade

It’s difficult to conclude that the renewed aggression against Croatia coming out of Serbia since the indicted war criminal Vojislav Seselj burned the Croatian flag last week is not politically connected to the announcement by Milorad Dodik, the president of the Serbian Republic (entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina/B&H, which has the 1995 massacre and genocide of Srebrenica as its cornerstone) regarding his plan to bring about at the end of April 2015 the declaration of the independence (from B&H) of the Serbian Republic. All this tells me, and I’m sure, many, that the Greater Serbia plan has not been shelved and sovereign nations affected by it (e.g. Croatia, B&H) must continue vigilance, as possibilities of renewed armed Serb-aggression, such as the one in early 1990’s, do seem to pose a risk.
Serbia did not succeed in its aggressive bid to try and stop secession from communist Yugoslavia of Croatia and B&H into independent states. However, in B&H, Serbs managed to hive off a part of that sovereign country as their enclave with their own local government. In Croatia, they lost completely – Croatian forces in 1995 “Operation Storm” liberated most of the Serb occupied and ethnically cleansed region (Krajina), and the rest was peacefully reintegrated into Croatia by the end of 1998. And everything they do politically points to the conclusion that Serbs cannot accept that; they cannot accept being a minority where they are a minority within a country.
Even though the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) appellate judges had just over a week ago, 30 March 2015, ruled that the indicted war criminal Vojislav Seselj had violated the terms of his release and ordered him to return to ICTY custody, Vojislav Seselj and Serbia’s leaders (Seselj’s political mates during the 1990’s aggression against Croatia and B&H, Serbian ultranatiolists) seem unperturbed and have raised their hate speech and aggressive disposition to almost the levels that existed during the 1990’s war of Serb-aggression against Croatia and B&H .
While the sinister Milorad Dodik is announcing a declaration of Serbian Republic independence in B&H (in defiance of the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which had as its foundation a goal to keep B&H in one piece as a sovereign and independent state) Vojislav Seselj is burning the Croatian flag in Serbia’s capital Belgrade, in front of Serbia’s government house, and threatening that he will only come to Croatia in a tank, and armed! Meanwhile, Serbia’s minister for work Aleksandar Vulin has obviously in the name of Serbia’s government intensified his anti-Croat hate speech, calling Croatia’s 1990’s war hero and general, Ante Gotovina, an Ustashe General and promoting still the lie that some 200,000 Serbs were deported forcefully from Croatia in 1995, ignoring the ICTY Appeals court ruling that there was no forceful deportation of Serbs from Croatia. (Ustashe were members of the Croatian Revolutionary movement in the period 1929-1945 and are considered an ultra-nationalist and fascist formation.A similar group in Serbia, during the same historic period, was the Chetniks.)

 

 

As one might expect, Milorad Pupovac, a member of Croatian parliament representing the Croatian Serb National Council support this Greater Serbia “warrior” and continues equating the 1990’s Croatian War of Independence with the WWII efforts towards Croatian independence. Serbia’s president Tomislav Nikolic had said that stringent measures under the law would be taken out against the person burning Croatia’s flag in Belgrade – but guess what – it’s been over a week and Vojislav Seselj still walks the streets of Serbia instead of being rounded up by Serbia’s authorities to prevent any further criminal actions while the burning of the flag is processed, and, to ensure Seselj returns to the ICTY to face judgment on charges of war crimes perpetrated against Croats and Bosniaks in Croatia, Vojvodina and B&H. Tomislav Nikolic sees the ICTY order to have Seselj returned to Hague as pressure against Serbia! The fact that Seselj stands accused of most heinous crimes against humanity does not seem to factor one iota in Nikolic’s thinking on due justice!
Furthermore, Serbia’s foreign minister and another of Seselj’s political “mates”, Ivica Dacic, said that the ICTY decision to seek Seselj’s return was “perfidious and scandalous” and jeopardised the stability of Serbia and the entire region. Never mind the fact that victims of Seselj’s war crimes spree deserve justice!

 

 

The ICTY Trial Chamber has last week ordered the ICTY Secretariat to contact the medical team of Vojislav Seselj (in Serbia) as soon as possible and furnish the Chamber with the latest information about the health condition of the accused. Meanwhile, Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic states that his government has no proof that Seselj is well again! I would have thought that organising public hate speeches, threatening Croatia, burning Croatia’s flag was proof enough that Seselj was quite well physically to be treated at medical facilities in the Hague for any physical ailment he may have and when it comes to his mental state – there’s ample proof that he needs to be behind bars as he is a danger to many innocent people!

To throw another element into the factor where Serbia will try everything and anything to avoid acceptance of its guilt for the horrible wars that ensued during the breakup of communist Yugoslavia, Serbia’s president Tomislav Nikolic has a few days ago announced that Serbia’s military forces would be marching in Moscow at the May celebrations of WWII victory! One may indeed raise ones eyebrows and ask: Why? This are the times when Serbia says it wants to join the EU and the EU is not in good terms with Russia, over Ukraine! Is Serbia giving up its plan to join the EU (its leaders’ political idol war criminal Vojislav Seslj says Serbia should not join the EU) or is Serbia, once again, intimidating the international community (EU) in order to, somewhat surreptitiously,  “bag” new acreage for Serbia – Serbian Republic in B&H – and get away with its denial of war crimes perpetrated during 1990’s?

 

 

As to Serbian plans to march in Moscow, Serbia’s political scientist Aleksander Pavic said that he believes that Serbia’s participation in the parade has a tremendous symbolic significance. “We are definitely part of the coalition [of victors], considering how many Serbs were killed in the Second World War. We had not one, but two anti-fascist projects, and we have the right to say that we were the first to rebel in a Europe enslaved by Nazism.” Pavic, like all Serbia’s leaders, have conveniently forgotten that Serbia’s WWII “rebellion” against Nazi enslavement came after Serbia under Milan Nedic exterminated, by May 1942, 94% of its Jews and became one of the first European countries to declare itself “Judenfrei” (Jew-free)! Serbia was like Russia during WWII: shouting to be anti-Nazi while murdering multitudes of innocent people! What a disgrace for humanity!

 

Although, last week Croatia had, after Seselj’s burning of the Croatian flag, called its Ambassador to Serbia back to Croatia for consultations it is of utmost importance that, within Croatia, some serious measures are put in place to protect the Croatian people and Croatia’s war veterans from Serb nationalist lies and the undermining of the sovereignty of Croatian state. Pressure might be on from the EU (and other parts of the world) to see neighbourly relations between Croatia and Serbia become more normal and moving towards reconciliation but this latest outpouring of hatred and lies against Croatia and the 1990’s War of Independence coming out of Serbia vividly demonstrate that Serbian and Serbs still do not see themselves as Croatia’s neighbours nor do they want to be neighbours – they still want a piece of Croatia for Serbia just as they want the same in Bosnia and Herzegovina! That is the ugly bottom line and the sooner the Croatian leadership acknowledge this truth publicly the better it will be for Croatia and its people; for democracy and freedom far and wide. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A. Ps. (Syd)

Comments

  1. Unfortunately

    Dear Ina

    hatred and resentment linger and the problems are far from over. In time, i feel they will be resolved so all must remain strong and committed.

    Big Hugs

    john

  2. I fear you’re right but hope you’re wrong Ina. Europe could well do without yet more aggression and possibly another war. Seselj needs to be returned to the Hague and their Prime Minister to go on TV to apologise for allowing the burning of the flag of Croatia to take place.
    xxx Huge Hugs xxx

    • I hope I am wrong also, David, but without strong demands for the right thing to be done (Seselj to be sent to the Hague where he belongs etc) these hateful things will continu. I get quite concerned that Serbia has chosen to march with Russia instead of a EU country for the 70th Anniversary of WWII victory – especially since this is the first time ever that Serbia’s military has participated in marches within another country… much mess and mean spirits about, sadly :(. Hugs back 🙂

  3. Michael Silovic says:

    It is with interest that I read this. If you look back on your blog from a few years ago I mentioned that this is not over and wont be for sometime. The Greater Serbia ideology is something that will continue because we did not exert our power when we won the war. The elected leaders were more interested in peace then to maintain enough strength and courage to put Serbia on notice that we will not sit idle while they continue on their path of our destruction. We showed our weakness with the Vukovar issues still to this day. We even showed more weakness when we dismissed our war veterans and heroes. Sadly we have many Croatians who are anti fascists and attack those who claim unity with the Ustache ideology as out of touch with the reality of what is happening in our country and borders. I am even more astonished that we have many Croats who want to defend Israel rights before they speak up on Serbia aggression on our motherland when Israel supported Serbia by violating the arms embargo giving weapons to the Serbs during our homeland war. Yes Russia has a hand in this with out doubt but not with out the Serbs going along with it. I make no apologies for my past and future comments on this issue whether I am called a fascist Nazi Ustache or war monger my voice remains the same and that is to do what is necessary to insure our countries stability and power in the region. If we must provide for political assassination or espionage to avert a war I am all for it. If we do go to war I think we should send the anti fascist to the front line along with the Croatian supporters of Israel.When we are done with them then the so called Ustache fascists can step in and take our country back again since they are the real heroes….. ~ Za Dom Spremni ~ Yes I am ready are you.

    • I am always ready to defend the freedom of Croatia, democracy and justice and – truth, Michael. Perhaps the so-called antifascists will soon run out of steam if more people point to their anti-freedom and pro-communist shame. Croatia’s leadership, I believe, instead of being polite need to look at Croatia’s war veterans who have been protesting for veteran rights in Zagreb over six months and take note and learn from the strength of those who fought off the Serb aggression in the 1990’s.

  4. The Croatian army and HVO should have continued their liberation of Bosnia. It would have been the only way to show true resistance against Serbian aggression and to quash further resurfacing of the Greater Serbian ideology. As things stand, giving the aggressors 1/3 of territory and political legitimacy was basically an open invitation to continue their ideology…politically, at least, until it could gain further momentum again and be used to Serbia’s advantage. Thank you, Western powers, you always knew what is best for our little corner of the world. Because only the truly enlightened West knows that the only way to defend yourself against those who want to erase your whole existence is to negotiate. Can’t hurt the feelings of war criminals by not giving them rights to a political entity, now can we?

    • A deserved dagger in “West’s” muscle, Kat.

    • threalamericro says:

      The West ensured that RS and Milosevic would not be soundly defeated when they threatened to bomb advancing HV/HVO forces outside of Banja Luka and in Eastern Hercegovina.

      The West, International Community and Dayton saved Milosevic.

      However the question was then, and would be in the future, why should Croats die and be maimed in fighting for formerly majority Muslim towns and cities when our Muslim “allies” were against in 1990, 91, 92, 93, 94, and 95 at that time, and the vast majority still today, ANY Croat equality, let alone self-rule, or God forbid, entity (just look at the recent news: http://www.hercegbosna.org/kolumne/povijest/kadija-ih-nije-volio-17298.html, “shockingly,” all of the well financed NGOs of B&H and Croatia are deafeningly silent on this legal monstrosity).

      The problem for Croats in BiH is that the International Community began attacking Croatians in BiH, starting with a savage assault on their economic freedom with the raiding, looting, and running into the ground of Hercegovacka Banka (which has full length documentary written all over it).

      However, this did not go unnoticed nor unprotested by Tudman’s Croatia. While Tudman was alive, there were no gerrymandering of elections at the expense of Croats in BiH, and the Croatian state was vocal about the assault on Croats’ economic freedom via Hercegovacka Banka at all diplomatic and public levels.

      Once Tudman died, the “Croatian” government(s) turned their backs on Croatians of Hercegbosna and allowed the international community to systematically and quasi-legally disenfranchise Croats of HRHB – much to the applause of Yugoslav ultranationalist socialists, as well as ecstatic joy of Paraga and his followers, who also, with the Yugoslav ultranationalist socialists, praised the show trials and wrongful, political convictions of Prlic et. al.

      The strategy was hit the Croats in the Federation to keep the Bosniaks busy with the International Community while simultaneously allowing RS to cement itself as a separate entity entirely. All to the applause of the war profiteering, false witness bearing cleptocrat and drunk Mesic and his ilk.

      Croatia’s priority in 1995 was the same as it should be with the next government – protect what is left of Croats and push for their political equality and economic freedom, and hold both Bosniak and Serbian political elites in BiH at arms length at all times.

      • To bud into your reply to Kat, therealamericro, Equality is the key word for BiH – not “proportional” equality as some would want and, yes, everything seems to have been manipulated for Serbian Republic entity to cement its “exclusivity” and definition that sets it apart from BiH…the not so distant future will show how strong that cement holds and if it does Croats should get their act together with the vigour their identity and rights deserve

      • Thanks for your insight, therealamericro. I am aware of the injustices done to BiH Croats; perhaps not to the same extent, (there’s much to learn) but you’d have to be willingly deaf and blind to miss it. Unfortunately for us, with the de-Tudjmanisation or Croatia and the smearing of his deeds in the international press, pushing for Croat equality in BiH comes with having to dispel the political propaganda and myths and there’s too many of those. What irks me most though, are the BiH Croats who themselves have accepted the “not Croat, but Bosnian Catholic” identity and pretty much given into the propaganda and myths. When the people themselves won’t fight it, but instead create divisions between themselves and other BiH Croats, it makes the case for equality all the much harder. As for those NGOs…they must go.

  5. I’m still waiting pro serb, anti croatian blogs that are “for truth” to post anything about these recent incidents.

  6. “Vojislav SS-lj”

  7. I didn’t know that they declared themselves Jew free… Wow

    • Yep, one of the first countries in Europe to do so, Juan – May 1942

      • they declared them selves jew free … declaring your country free of jews doesn’t mean you killed them all……….

      • Well vivarepublikasrpska, Serbia did exterminate 94% of Serbian Jews by May 1942 and then declared Judenfrei. Serbia’s WWII prime minister Milan Nedic and Serbs who were his followers were only too keen to collaborate with the Nazis and while it is a known fact that Serbia has been trying to hide and minimise its collaboration role in WWII the truth is there and you fall into the category known as “the kettle calling the pot black”- accept your guilt and you will be much happier in the end.

      • how bout you don’t edit my comment,

      • No editing, vivarepublikasrpska, just deletion of part in accordance with policy for commenting published on these pages of which you should be aware before writing lies that are blatant regarding who killed Serbia’s Jews

      • deleting part of my comment counts as editing :). The hague tribunal kept seselj in custody for over a decade, and time after time they are unable to prove anything on him. he has time and time again proved witnesses to be false and made the tribunal look like a joke. How much longer should a man be in jail until they can prove him guilty? he doesn’t need to be in the hague for them to give a verdict.

        maybe you should do some research too ina.

      • Oh I have done plenty of research, vivarepublikasrpska, and the results as far as Seselj’s war crimes are quite different to your and mine a more closer to truth than yours, I like to think but we must wait for the court judgment – trial chamber- then we must wait for any appeals as due process and then know for sure. Yes he needs to be in the Hague for the verdict since his health seems quite OK and he does not appear to be on deathbed, which was the reason why he was released temporarily in the first place. There was nothing false about Seselj’s war crimes – they were regretfully real with or without the false witnesses you refer to. But let’s not continue with this, he was released and now the court wants him back in custody and therefore I for one will respect the court’s decision.

      • I think its abit of a coincidence that Milosevic died just a few days before they would read out his verdict.. in regards to seselj, there is a law which they have to be able to determin him guilty within a decent amount of time. That court is illegal and therefor cant be respected. It was created against international law. Croatia is a puppet created by the west to weaken Serbia, you speak our language and the turks wiped you all out, I think that’s why your so anti serb and created this site. Instead of demonizing individual people you consider to be war criminals you demonize an entire race of people (including your own 😉 )

      • Well if Serbs are telling lies I am anti! And so would every human being be. As to legality of the ICTY it is a legal international court but Seselj and Milosevic do not accept it and that is their problem and perhaps yours. Croatia was created by Croats not the west!

      • read this book, DELETED AS IRRELEVANT TO POST

      • Thank you but no thank you on advice regarding which books to read on Croatians. We are quite capable of choosing our own reading list but thank you anyway

      • DELETED AS OFFENSIVE

      • vivarepublikasrpska – it is not hatred to report on other people’s hatred, that is stating a fact or more to the point reporting a fact that hate exists in our case that which Seselj expressed loudly against Croatia. If you are unable to keep from making assumptions about other people and offending other people your comments will be moderated or deleted and that is this blog’s policy, like it or not trolls and bullies are not welcome here.

  8. The aggression does not seem to be getting any better and that is alarming, for sure. It is a troubling time…

  9. Michael Silovic says:

    Kat you are correct in your comments. We gave up way too much. There was a reason we did and if you search Henry Kissinger and Laurence Eagleburger history with Serbia you can see why and how that led to Israel providing arms to Serbia during the war. The west pretty much knew that if the war were to continue and that Israel providing arms to Serbia became an issue known publicly at the time the west would have had some real problems with other Muslim countries coming to the defense of Bosnia. At the time there were only a handful of Muslim fighters coming to Bosnias aid.When Serbia started to lose the battle it was in the best interest of those I mentioned to cover up as much as they could. They had to force upon us a deal.They along with Israel still to this day have not been punished for their crimes against our people and country.They simply did not understand the will and determination of the Croatian people. This is one of the reasons we were basically forced into an agreement which left the Serbians to this day in the position they are in today that enables them to continue to threaten the region with instability. They still do not understand that Vukovar is to Croatia what the Vatican is to Rome and we will not sit by idly while they continue to attempt to take control of Vukivar. Our goverment in Zagreb has a lot of work to do to stabilize Croatia interest for the long term and face a daunting challenge with a dwindling population. Our dwindling population is in its own right a national security risk that needs to be addressed very quickly or Serbia would have won through our own destruction and inept attitude. Those in Serbia who are burning our flags and using threatening language have the support of the Serbian goverment regardless of the double speak.The alignment of Serbia with Russia is not a fluke. Even though they have a history with Russia it is not impossible to think that they will forgo the EU in favor of Russia if the right deal can be had which is their continued expansion policy or a simpler way into the EU. I have always said we have a lot of people and countries who wish to do Croatia harm and we must be vigilant in keeping our eyes and ears open. We must put Croatia First if we are to protect her and our people. We must not look upon these actions as rhetoric from a looney but another war can and will happen very quickly when we become a frail nation.

  10. Only the naive and gullible ever believed that Serbia would give up its fanatical and imperialist design of a Greater Serbia. This notion is genetically ingrained in the Serb national character. There will never peace between Serbia and Croatia until Serbs renounce and criminalize Greater Serbia ideology; pigs will fly before this will happen. They lie to the international community and themselves. They are truly a morally bankrupt and mentally ill nation. They are dangerous and must be dealt with seriously. We must never let our guard down, but unfortunately our leftist Croatia hating government has done everything possible to abet Serbia by destroying Croatia materially, morally and spiritually. God help us.

    • It does boil down to the fact that Croatians need to be very, very strong to keep strong and head up, Sunman. The leftist government has proven to be enemy of Croatia’s freedom and it gets difficult to watch those heroic war veteran invalids protesting for months for their rights while veterans’ affairs minister comes up with new pathetic spiteful ways to cause them damage…Morally Croats are still strong, at least most and it will take more than aggressive Serbia to wear them down and their love for freedom and democracy

  11. From Facebook – and while Serbia seethes and snarls like the pack of snakes it is and complain of some mythical expulsion, I will be having fellowship this week with kind sweet people who cannot return to their farms and their houses from which Dodik and his ilk drove them by rape and by murdering their families. The danger from Serbia is very real and present and every bit as serious as the danger from such as ISIS. An independent little Serbia must not be allowed to happen or it will be a puss pocket of an infection that will lead to war surely as we breathe.

    • Total terror for eternity should Serbian Republic territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina be permitted to go independent, I agree, David B

  12. Croatia must be a vanguard of the truth and check Serbia on all occasions of lies. The Serbs are masters of propaganda and manipulation. They know very well that a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. Croatia must not allow this by sitting back idly and hoping that the truth will eventually be revealed. The truth must be broadcast. Every and all efforts by Croatia to set the truth must be taken…diplomatic notes should have been sent to the UN and every embassy and government of the world when the Serbian government called Croatia a fascist Ustasha state and that Gotovina was an Ustasha general, that Croatia expelled 200,000 serbs from Croatia, etc, etc. The government should set-up a ‘Truth about Croatia’ website in multiple languages as a source of truth for ordinary people, politicians, lawyers and academics to fight for Croatia’s position and ensure the light of truth penetrates Serbia’s dark lies and sinister plot to create a Greater Serbia at all costs. Croatia it’s time to stop sleep walking and wake up.

  13. I hope Croatia does everything “by the book.” And that she has everything well documented for the world to see. Don’t let the enemies of international law drag you down to their level. I don’t know precisely what country you can use as a role model. You certainly can’t use the US. Our leaders proved that with every aspect of how they responded (or rather didn’t respond until it was too late) to al-Qaeda’s declaration of war on the US.

    We murdered Osama bin Laden, rather than placing him on trial as a civilized country would. We condoned the cold-blooded murder of Muammar Gaddafi, and turned a blind eye to the railroading of Saddam Hussein during his sham trial. The World Court in the Hague seems to me to be the best venue for these international issues.

    Love-level acts of aggression are being waged against the citizenry of the US, the country that calls itself, “The land of the free,” and yet has more prisoners than most other countries *combined*. The US is spending it ever-dwindling funds to wage wars of aggression worldwide, and one can only hope that the US will steer clear of causing any more trouble, yet with its track record, one mustn’t hold one’s breath.

    George W. Bush told the Jihadists to “Bring it on.” Well, they are bringing it on. I’ve heard they have now entered Afghanistan. The US is BAD NEWS.

    I don’t know much about Australia, but hopefully, it can be a decent role model.

    • All you say here, Donald, stands and I agree and wasn’t at all amused when US wiggled out of having its citizens at the international criminal tribunal. As to Australia the jury is still out as to whether it can serve as a role model – lines get blurred quite often as allegiances come…

    • …America reached its peak in the 1950’s and it is on its way down! God has no more to do with the rise of America or the fall of the Roman Empire! Actually, it is too bad that during the French-Indian wars, a French General was killed in 1759, called Montcalm! If the French won that battle, then all of North America would have been catholic (not that it is end all anyway) and Canada and American would have been called “QUEBEC”!

    • Perhaps the answer isn’t to look at other countries as role models, but set a precedent as a role model? It’s a big ask though.

      • We do have several millennia of “civilization” under our belts, so there ought to be some decently good aspects to choose from. The US Constitution is a good document by which to run a country. No one is using it right now, but if a country ever did, I am convinced the population would consider it a good way to live. (Here I’m referring to those people with Western values.)

  14. Love-level. (Can’t be a Freudian slip, because I don’t think I have any hope left about that every happening). Anyway, meant to write “Low-level.” — the mere summary executions, including Revenue Officers unloading their weapons into the backs of fleeing suspects. The most recent murder was caught on camera. Crime? “Broken tail light.” — Or more likely, a serious violation in the US, Driving While Black.

    • most disturbing

      • Did you see the summary execution video? There are many others similar to it strewn all across YouTube.

      • I did, Donald – I’ve been following those atrocities. Just shocking how twisted people “in uniforms” can get

      • They’ve taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and to defend the nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Yet, they have clearly become domestic enemies of the civilian population.

        As you know, I’ve spoken out about the war crimes Israel has committed–with US aid. Still, at least the Israeli soldiers have a bit of training. I notice that when they aim their weapons at their victims, the Gazans, the don’t have their fingers directly on the trigger. The US’s recently militarized police force don’t know, or care, how to properly use the military style weaponry they have. There’s a photo I uploaded to Google Plus that shows nearly a dozen steroid-enhanced would-be commandos aiming directly at unarmed civilians with their fingers on the triggers. Extremely unprofessional — but so is, “Bring it on you animals.”

        Do you have any problems even close to this in Australia. I’m kind of thinking this is an American phenomenon. We seem to be a country that is incapable of learning from our mistakes. George Bush, in a moment of bravado, told the Islamists to “Bring it on.” I hear that I.S. recently invaded Afghanistan, which will make it at least the third country to which they have brought “it.”

      • Not such problems here in Australia that public is aware of, however few arrests have recently been made through new powers re national security/terrorism etc…I’m sure there’s much more Brewing and spewing than what the public is being made aware of.

  15. “Ustashe were members of the Croatian Revolutionary movement in the period 1929-1945 and are considered an ultra-nationalist and fascist formation. A similar group in Serbia, during the same historic period, was the Chetniks.”
    “Are considered by” whom? Is this your opinion or what you believe is a generally held opinion of ‘others’? Please be careful what words you choose because when one says that something is ‘considered as’….that does not necessarily mean it is factual or truthful. If this is not your opinion and you are citing facts, then could you please publish your list of references/sources that you are citing to establish: 1) Ustase were ultra-nationalist (versus nationalist)
    2)Ustase were fascist

    3)Ustase were similar to Serbian Chetniks

    Words are very powerful and therefore every word should be carefully considered before it is committed to paper or cyberspace as the case may be.

    Za Dom Spremni!

    • Thank you Velebit, that is true regarding the meaning of “considered” and if considered it does not mean it’s true, you’re right there, and indeed when one combs through media, literature etc etc one can see what these formations are considered by different people; e.g. some use word nationalist some ultranationalists. The sentences were inserted into article for the benefit of any reader out there not in the knowledge regarding what is meant by when someone like Seselj calls Croatian generals of today names…

  16. Veronika says:

    Re. “Viva Republika Srpska” – anyone who uses that handle for a name has some serious problems and is clearly a supporter of a Greater Serbian dream. What I find amazing about the Serbs I have spoken to about the wars of aggression in the 1990s or WW2 is that they always blame everyone else. It’s always the Croat ‘Ustashe’ or the Bosniak “Mudjahedin” or everyone else. Even the Serbs that live abroad have this victim complex which I find extraordinary. Everyone is all nice and fine when you meet them, until the talk turns to any of the wars in the region in the last 200 years or so, and it’s always someone else’s fault. If you speak to a Croatian, Slovene. Macedonian, or Bosniak in the region you get various opinions about the wars in the 20th century and the armies….Homeguards, the Chetniks, Ustashe, Partisans….but I have yet to meet a Serb abroad or in the region who has not blamed someone else for the wars. They are never to blame. They are always the eternal victims.
    Until they actually go through a reckoning like what the Germans were forced to do, there will never be peace in the region because like Putin and his dreams of another Soviet empire, they (the Serbs) will always feel they have to be in charge of subhumans under their ultimate control. They are not willing to live under someone else’s rule.

  17. …whether they are Serbian Communists or Serbian Chetniks or Serbian “Democrats”, they all have the same agenda–Greater Serbia!….whether it is by a full frontal assault or scheming & conniving! The stupid Roman Catholic croatian priests are wishing their serbian neighbours, a merry christmas or a happy easter, whereas, you will NEVER see a serbian orthodox priest say the same to a croat catholic! This is typical stupid Catholic altruism at its most insane, just as the Catholic clergy and King Tomislav gave the Vlachs (serbs) refuge into Croatian territory in 925 AD! The serbs don’t believe in Jesus Christ or God, just as some kind of culture club or going to a soccer game! When you have open chetniks such as Pupovac, Pusic, Opacic and useful idiots such as Josipovic, Mesic and Milanovic, the Serbs can be expected to attack Croatia at any time! It may take 50 years, but they think,that in the end, history is on their side! In the end only Croatia or Serbia will survive……not both!

    • I think Tempus Fugit that it’s good to live in accordance with civility and ones own standards so If a Croat priest wishes A Serb happy Easter but his wishes are not reciprocated so be it, we still continue to act in a civilsed manner and take note and care as to why that civilsed manner is not reciprocated – stay careful and watchful that is

  18. It’s absolutely and utterly evil and shameful! 🙁

  19. Michael silovic says:

    Croatia can be a very strong country if it wanted to be. We just need to get our leaders to focus on rebuilding the country the right way. We need to strengthen our culture and values to start with. What I would really like to see is first that all people of Croatian decent be given citizenship with out all the red tape and the process should be handle by local embassies and processed within 7 days. No one of Croatian decent should be denied.We should go back as far as 5 generations. This would help people who want to go live and invest in the country move about freely and spur the economy and investments pretty quickly. It is also important to our national security before we lose our heritage and culture to others who are of non Croatian decent that may immigrate to Croatia. We must also recognize all of our heroes and country people for their contributions and not turn our backs to them. I would also like to see Croatia set aside 4 million dollars from any funds available to give each of our 4 million citizens 1 million dollars each. They must have lived in Croatia since our independence and be declared Croat not anything other than Croat. This is not for anyone who left the country but stayed to this day.This money should be used to support families to lift up their lives and invest in their future. This would be a one time investment and no one would be allowed then to collect social benefits other then pensions. The tax rate must be lowered and no property taxes on peoples personal homes. Vacation homes or investment property is taxable as income. Just imagine how many investments Croats would make in their own country and how much the goverment would collect in revenue from these investments. When you start off with a positive future the country will take its shape that would strengthen who we are as a people.With this relief I am sure we will see a population boom never witnessed before. People will have more economic security and thrive.At this point the goverment would become free of social support for the people and be able to focus on border security and infrastructure. We can not protect our country with a dwindling population and high unemployment that depends on a goverment for hand outs or goverment jobs.Military service must be standard and no compensation for service for the first 2 years and then afterwards a pay scale should be formed for those who want to make it a career. This will allow for expenditures to purchase what is needed to protect the country and keep the budget low. Croatia has started on the wrong path by designing its country on a western platform which we all know is a failure and needs to be visionary of the future to be able to handle all of its problems.Borrowing its way into debt will only weaken us and make our neighbors continue to think that we are weak and threaten us on a daily basis.if you stop and think about this it is not far fetched at all. 4 millions dollars is a small investment in our countries future to protect our culture and heritage. As to Serbia they will see that we are taking care of our own and strengthening our leadership and military that they will have second thoughts on their expansion. I would hope that many of you at least work towards getting generations of Croats to become citizens as quickly as possible before we lose what we have.

    • When it comes to citizenship process, Michael, it is almost made as if it’s supposed to be hard for some reason or other and in fact I’ve been thinking of similar things as you in the past week…a lot needs to change and it can be changed for the better, I utterly agree

  20. Michael Silovic says:

    I would think that they would make it easy and expedite the process since all paper work for proof of relations such as birth records are originated in Croatia anyway and the counsel in Embassies know what they look like. It is not hard to put 2 and 2 together. I would forgo the language test for people of Croatian decent as generational people learn the language when they are there. For me it is a national security issue and if the goverment doesn’t act quickly we will loose a lot of our culture and heritage. Once we have a majority in certain areas we loose control as we see what is being attempted in Vukovar with Cyrillic. If we do the math on the 4 million it would be cheaper because if you have people on social services for life it costs many times more. The last thing Croatia needs to become is a country like America where 60% of the people are on some type of goverment assistance costing billions of dollars a year.

    • Great thoughts, Michael – no we would not want a widespread dependence on government or welfare support if for nothing else it maintains a meager and poor existence, no prospect of future growth, helplessness…

  21. I fear for where this will all end.. It seems the whole world is so aggressive Ina.. Why is unity so hard to be maintained. Why do we as a species need to be so hateful and vengeful?

    While past crimes and horrors should not go unpunished by the perpetrators of such deeds .. Why do we inflame that which is trying to heal.. Sigh,, so sad.

    • A question that is difficult to answer, Sue, without concluding that some kind of hatred or need for aggression is ingrained in some people and then the rest need to spend much energy in trying to defend and move forward with the least of damage.

  22. Bosniakprince says:

    DELETED…The only way anyone can defeat this cancer is by fighting like the lions in the independent state of Croatia. DELETED

    • Bosniakprince, parts of your comment are deleted as inappropriate here. If hatred comes still from Serbia, Croatia will know how to shield itself I trust

  23. Ina – brilliant site, incredible writing. I love the whole region, but have always got the impression that there was unfinished business lurking below the surface. The wonderful people deserve to live in peace…..

    • Your impressions seem spot on, Wilbur – I would think unfinished business has to do with harsh history and a great deal of death and destruction and political swamp. Modern day has the avenues and insight to level off history to the point of acknowledgment, condemnation and justice to victims of crimes past and start anew but that seems a very hard turn to make as there are those that deny their past or paint it rosy … I think the region was so unfortunate particularly during WWII where internal forces were torn, different and opposing ideologies that took their terrible toll…the West was more fortunate, the only enemy it had was usually from outside. I truly believe that no full reconciliation or lasting peace can occur until everybody “pays their dues”

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