Croatian military parade
Photo:Dusko Jaramaz/Pixsell
Increasing pressure and uneasy disquiet is building up in many Croats’ hearts as 5 August 2015 approaches – 20th anniversary of Operation Storm, of liberating Croatia from the brutal, murderous, dark forces of ethnically cleansing Serb occupying forces.
The uneasy, painful disquiet, which wants to scream with protestation, comes with the relentless and aggressive campaign waged by Serbia’s leadership, in particular Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, that denies the aggression, war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing committed by Serbs in Croatia during 1990’s. Serbia also keeps on harassing justice for the victims of aggression by saying that anyone attending the victory parade in Zagreb on 5 August will be considered anti-Serbia and that Serbia will ensure it marks on that day a day of mourning for Serbs killed in that war and Serbs who fled Croatia after the Operation Storm in 1995!
In other words, Serbia has made its vicious mind up to spoil the due glory of Croatia’s victory over brutal Serb aggression. One could say this is to be expected given that Serbia keeps on denying its crimes.
It may be expected, but it cannot be accepted; even if the current Croatian leftist government has evidently been going out of its way, many a time, to ‘accommodate’ Serbian insults against Croatia!
A member of the European Parliament from the opposition HDZ party (Croatian Democratic Union), Andrej Plenkovic, has said that the failure of NATO member states to attend the 20th anniversary of military Operation Storm in August is a failure of the Croatian government’s diplomacy and a message of yielding on the foreign policy front to Serbia, which he says downplays the 1990s wars.
“The politics of Nikolic-Vucic-Dacic (Serbia’s President-PrimeMinister-Foreign minister) are clearly implementing revisionism of what had happened during 1990’s, and that is the Greater Serbia policy and Milosevic’s aggression against the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH),” Plenkovic told reporters on Saturday 18 July in Zagreb.
Plenkovic said another example was the veto “by the instrumentalised (UN) Security Council permanent member Russia on a resolution on Srebrenica which mentions genocide, not because somebody politically wanted to mention it but because it was mentioned in rulings by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice in 2007.”
Plenkovic said such a policy was also visible in a joint decision by the governments of Serbia and the Bosnian Serb entity to proclaim August 5, Croatia’s Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Croatian War Veterans Day, “the day of the Croatian army’s greatest victory“, a day of mourning for Serb victims.
“It’s all part of a broader activity by Serbia and recent messages by (Foreign) Minister (Ivica) Dacic are just a continuation of such a policy.”
He said the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) had a “very clear position” that the 20th anniversary of Operation Storm “should be celebrated in a dignified way as a liberating, defensive military and police operation which not only liberated Croatian territory but changed strategically and in the long term the balance of power in Europe’s southeast.”
Plenkovic said Croatian forces, together with those of the Army of BiH and the Croat Defence Council (HVO), had liberated Bihac, BiH, a UN-protected zone at the time, sparing it Srebrenica’s fate. “Only then were the Dayton peace agreement and the American diplomatic initiative possible.”
The Croatian government’s failure to have “our allies’ units” take part in a military parade on the anniversary of Operation Storm “sends a very clear message that this government has failed, with its yielding to Serbia on the foreign policy front and its insufficiently engaged explaining of Operation Storm’s strategic role for the West and our allies, for stability in the region and peace in BiH.”
He said the HDZ considered this “a big failure” of the incumbent government. Asked if this was only the government’s failure or if the entire diplomacy and the president, who signed the invitations to the allies to attend the parade, had also failed, Plenkovic said this was first and foremost a diplomatic failure of the government and its ministry of foreign affairs.
I do not agree entirely with what Plenkovic says here as do believe there will be NATO member states representation at the victory parade in Zagreb on 5 August but I do agree with his assessment of the pathetic and destructive work done by the current government and its foreign affairs field. It has been too soft and too anti-Croatia when it comes to Serbia’s tantrums and crime denials.
The 20th Anniversary of Croatia’s victory over Serb aggression; the 20th Anniversary of freedom from communism on 5 August will officially be celebrated in the town of Knin in the morning and then with the victory parade in Zagreb late in the afternoon/evening. The victory parade event is the part of the celebrations that has given rise to distressing political quarrels and fighting fueled by the current government’s (Social Democrats) push to hold the parade – which, by the way is the first one ever of its kind to mark the victory over Serb aggression – and HDZ’s (opposition – Croatian Democratic Union) opposition to it at this time.
Serbia’s Prime Minister’s (Aleksnader Vucic) statement last week that attending the military parade in Zagreb, Croatia, on 5 August will constitute an insult to Serbia, and Croatia’s defence minister Ante Kotromanovic offered a reply on Friday 17 July:
“I have refrained from reacting up until now, but today I really must respond. Radical rhetoric is not a good way to communicate. However, there are moments when one simply must direct people towards facts. All this time, our intentions were to keep our national holiday of our country’s liberation away from the international relations. Celebrations of 4th and 5th August are far above that. The comments given by the person who had during 1990’s, with a rifle in his hand, encouraged only the worst and called for killings and hatred – are not trustworthy. I want to be clear regarding these new attempts in balancing the guilt and equating the victim with the aggressor and say – we know very well who the aggressor was, and places like Vukovar and Srebrenica tell us who the victim was. Operation Storm was a legitimate action that stopped, among other things, another massacre that would have been much larger than Srebrenica!”
Croatia’s First POresident
Dr Franjo Tudjman
Standing at Town Knin
August 1995 – As Croatia
Was Liberated From Serb Aggressor
Those who think that Croatia’s military parade will not succeed on 5 August because soldiers of members of NATO countries will not be marching there are quite wrong in my book! Why would Croatia bother about which country will march with it and which will not for that Anniversary? After all, Croatian soldiers and Croatian military were the only ones who actually liberated Croatia from Serb occupation in August 1995 and they are the ones who should be marching and parading with pride. Anyone else is so very welcome to come and watch and marvel at the courage that still prevails in Croatia despite the vicious aggression flowing from Serbia. Perhaps on 5 August 2015 Croatia will learn who its friends are and who should be left behind and who should not? Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
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I hope it will be a great day for Croatia and a celebration of peace for your wonderful nation.
Thank you, Christoph, it will be much deserved.
Your last paragraph nails it.
Well said Ina
Thank you, Jure – and I truly feel that and that is how it should be! The rest can watch and marvel at sheer courage and willpower for freedom,.
again another very sad and humiliating situation for Croatia. But after years of pandering to Serbia as if we were the aggressors, accepting this ridiculous equalization theory and allowing Serbia to dominate the narrative, the cumulative effect is that no one takes us seriously. If we can’t stand-up for our own country, its values and dignity why would anyone respects us. We are weak and timid and it will cost us dearly.
Time to assert ourselves, Sunman, and for that Croatia need a whole new political outfit. It’s getting tiring watching all this weakness and especially when it’s hard to understand why! Croatia has so much to be proud of but also get rid of many who want to be “chiefs” even though their skills are nowhere near.
It is often difficult to sit by idly and listen to the propaganda against Croatia with out responding. But sometimes when we don’t we are labeled as fascists, ustacha murders, or equated to the Nazi’s but the reality of it is we should not be afraid to defend history and our homeland. Serbia has taken right out of the play book the same propaganda as the Jews (Israel). repeat and deny and blame everyone else and if it goes on long enough the truth is always hidden.The reality of it is that as long as we even recognize Serbia’s stance then they would have achieved their propagandist purpose.This is why we must keep fighting. As to who comes to the celebration I could care less because the most important people that will be there are Croats themselves showing solidarity. That is one of the strongest statements that can be made because it shows that we stand by our country now as we did in the war. We were victors then as we will be now……..~ Za Dom Spremni! ~
Croatian veterans and army are the ones to march on the Day – victory was and is ours, Michael – Serbia can keep on denying its role and crimes, fate will catch up as there is no stopping the truth. One can stall it for a while but never stop it.
Serbia will deny it’s aggression as is expected in the hope that other countries will not know the truth.Whatever day it chooses to celebrate on the day Croatia celebrates it’s victory over the Serbs will only be celebrated in Serbia itself and surely only by those too young to know the truth. They fool no-one.
he real day of celebration will be when they have leaders in place who not only admit past crimes but are willing to make real efforts to apologise and come to real accord with Croatia,
Croatia itself needs to change many of it’s leaders from the old style Communist ones to forward thinking ones who can strike up real talks with all Countries as joint players on the world stage who are showing themselves to be world leaders in various fields with a strong future ahead.Serbia are not pushing ahead.
xxx Massive Hugs Ina xxx
In tune with what should be, David – and days are approaching fast when either will happen: new political energy that does not pretend past did not happen but has the courage to place it where it should be and learn from it truly.
Reblogged this on ' Ace History News ' and commented:
Finally got your magazine completed Ina hope you like Ian 👍 http://flip.it/9mdjZ
Aw, thank you so much, Ian
Welcome Ina anytime making changes and setting up other ways to share and just updated the theme on newsroom so will be adding posts in their entirety on their and reblogging onto other sites to spread the word 🌹
Thanks Ian, will get into it I’m sure 🙂
This might help created this to share your great writing here:
http://flip.it/g29Hs
Hope you like 😀
Fabulous, thanks, Ian
Even though the incumbent government is anti-Croatian, the “allies” have decided not to insult Serbian feelings on their own. This decision is actually alarming. It shows that Serbia can do whatever it feels like at the moment and in the future. If the security situation in Europe changes, we may be in war in no time and we’ll be left alone again.
Also, Unimatrix, it could also partly be due to the political disagreements between political parties in Croatia, opposition or HDZ thinks it’s too early for such parades and governing Social Democrats have organised it probably because its election year to get points as in essence such parades should have been in place at least in 2005 for 10th Anniversary and should have been there every year after 1995 to my opinion. So it’s a mess whichever way you look at it – sadly, sadly, sadly
Just a little due to the political disagreements, but mostly because they want to show Serbia how welcome it is in the Western world even if it means annihilation of Croats. Been there before, seen everything. They (the allies) are always ready to sacrifice us to alienate Serbs from Russia. Serbia is very well aware how important it is at this moment to the western politicians. Britain was pathetic with that genocide document before the UN knowing Russia will veto it. Britain has always been a faithful Serbian ally and will drag Americans with them and all the others will follow. The disagreement is just very convenient.
Point taken, Unimatrix and, yes, a great deal of prostitution happening in trying to avert Serbia away from Russia
Isn’t the West’s appeasement of Serbia to ally Russia a fool’s game…anyone can see that any gains the West makes with Serbia are temporary at best. Serbia’s natural alignment is east and with Russia…blood as they say is thicker than water. Serbia will just keep escalating demands, the west will give more and more and Serbia will benefit without change in behaviour or alignment. Even a child can see thru this game, because it is a child’s game at play. This game has been played since the beginning of time with a poor track record of appeasement ever working.
So true, Sunman
Fearlessness rewards.We celebrate with the brave people of Croatia.
Cheers, Ngobesing
Courage! Forward ever!
Indeed, thank you, Ngobesing
The sad part is that people like Kotromanovic come out with these bullish sayings only in election years, while the Serbian politicians wax lyrical against Croatia all year long regardless of elections….which should show us how they really think. Which in turn needs to wake us up in regard to how we should be thinking. It never changes does it?!
To the point, Anna, I agree
https://youtu.be/og4Ze3IEhEQ
Aliosa.
Thank you, Aliosa 🙂
For me operation Storm came to late
I Remember that summer day in 1992 when armed Serb troops arrived in our Banja Luka house and deported my family with force into a bus together with the rest of Croats and Bosniaks. A lot of Croats used to live in the city before the war. A lot of the Croat girls were raped in the city that summer I saw with my eyes Croat females I knew getting gang raped and while the Croat men were deported to the death camps. The elite Croats in the town were very quickly arrested and killed so they could not threat the future Serbia. Any well educated Croat were killed or died in the rape camps. When I see the Croatian flag flying among the skies I know it was worth it…… as many as 8000 Croat civilians was killed by Serb forces in Bosnia before operation storm saved the rest of us from dying.
So terrible, CroatianPatriot – Operation Storm should have swept the Serbs away sooner, I agree, the international community meddling there is to take responsibility also for stifling justice process and letting the Serb aggressor do what the did
morally should have gone into Banja Luka…would a better situation today…the West again saved the Serbs.
But the saving attempts more and more transparent and repulsive – so perhaps corners may turn on their agenda, Sunman – 🙂
Ina thanks for posting. Nothing surprises me anymore. It reminds me of when President Tudjman died and how the international community behaved. It was utterly disgraceful. See: http://www.antiwar.com/stone/?articleid=1878
History has been repeating itself over and over again….the international community denied us in 1945, 1991…..
But the truth must prevail. For decades we were assaulted with vicious lies against Blessed Stepinac. Now look, he is in the company of Blesseds and will soon be a Saint.
You have a good attitude. Do not despair but fight for the truth. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea)
Zivjela Ina!
Thank you, Erica! The communists tried very hard to destroy Croatian independence and its leader Franjo Tudjman – they had help from international community, the same for Blessed Aloysius Stepinac but, yes, truth and good prevail in the end. Cheers!
This latest diplomatic offensives from Beograd are not surprising. Although loosing four wars in the 1990s, it is evident the serb politicians and academics have never given up their dreams of a greater serbia.
The serb Sanu Memorandum of 1986 which called for a greater Serbia by military means was soundly defeated by Croatian forces with Operation Oluja and Croatian military operations in BiH in 1995.
Now Sanu Memorandum 2 call for the same policies/territorial pretentions but through a different implementation, namely of a political nature. Even Dobrica Cosic stated the goal is to win back in peace what was lost in war.The newest political offensive of minimizing and outright denying crimes as part of Memorandum 2 is being done to save serbia from their defeat and put it on equal footing with all the countries in which it commited aggression.
Sadly the decade+ long disorientation and lack of a strategy of Croatian (cough* neoyugoslav) politicians are a far cry from the always strong and uncompromising serbian foreign policy.
Much Croatian political power in government very disappointing, indeed, Rex Croatorum. Hopefully they’ll either be voted out or a miracle will happen and leopards will start changing both the skin and the character