What news! Whatever the case, these newly discovered details, claims the right, are allegedly putting the Hague Tribunal indictments in new perspective, especially the one against Gotovina. And they tell us, just like Tomac, that the Hague would now have to reexamine its indictments. If it does not, then, together with Gotovina, Carla Del Ponte will have to try numerous American spies and other participants in the great liberation action in which, well, some crimes were committed.
Therefore, who should actually be credited with the creation of the united, ethnically cleansed Croatia? Until recently HDZ's hawks howled as loudly as possible at every mention of American assistance to the military-police actions that liberated the territory, and then burned houses and here and there killed the local population, and the late dictator arrogantly claimed that he and only he, with slight assistance from his Susak, Bobetko, Gotovina, Norac... is to be credited with the "amazing and awe inspiring" actions from 1995. Now, suddenly, Tudman Jr., notorious Markica Rebic, as well as the whole HDZ leadership has decided to turn the story upside down, so that now the Storm is not an "independently", carefully, and professionally planned and executed action of exclusively local military experts. Now it suddenly includes American military expertise. Furthermore, the Americans "knew everything", because they filmed everything, eavesdropped on everything, and therefore there were no crimes in the Storm.
Namely, claims Miroslav Tudman, it is impossible that Washington knew about crimes and ignored them. Really? Why? Didn't they for years hide their crimes against civilians in Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, or the most recent ones in Serbia? And what does cooperation with the CIA have to do with the accusations against Gotovina? Will in a day or two, with the goal of strengthening wartime cooperation with until recently hated America, and in defense of Gotovina and comrades, tough Tudman's henchmen "discover" that the person responsible for all crimes in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina, Gojko Susak, is actually "an American man" with all the implications of that?
Therefore, the claims of a "handful of treasonous bastards" about foreign mercenaries in the former Croatian authorities and the military are now suddenly HDZ's contribution for the defense of the war crimes suspects. But, just like dogs do not bark to save a village, thus Tudman is not rattling "his truth" for the sake of history; namely, he, just like his buddies Rojs, Praljak, Prlic, and others, in charge of the establishment of camps in Bosnia, is also an object of an investigation of the Hague prosecutor. As was to be expected as far as any normal person was concerned. As Dr. Goran Granic said, commenting on the "discoveries" about the American involvement in the war in Croatia, 'at that time everyone knew everything". In the name of that, we recalled the problems Feral had a few months before the start of the Storm because of "enemy activities", after publishing the article "Discrete Charm of Sovereignty". And we only wrote silly stuff about the American military base on the island of Brac, a takeover of the island airport, about firm cooperation between the Americans and the local military police chief Zeljko Maglov, later accused of grave and varied crimes.
Therefore, only those who did not want to know didn't know about the American involvement in Croatia, just like they did not want to know about Crime. That is the reason for today's wriggling about "historical truths", both by Tomac and terrified Tudman's followers.
But let me add just a few details about a crime that illustrates a sad attitude towards the victim, not only of the formed but also of the current rulers of Croatia. I really do not care whether American spies of the clerks in Pentagon knew about it.
"In the difficult moments of the truth, when the black cloud of injustice and pain shrouded us, you were the only ones to shine rays of warmth on our home. Big thank you to you and all Feral's employees who in an unselfish and noble way provided conditions for the dignified burial of the body of my mother-in-law." These are the words of Zeljko Knezevic, whose mother was cowardly murdered in the action of the cleansing of "Croat" Gospic from non-Croat population. Her body was identified seven months ago and Feral Tribune paid for her burial. Because no one else wanted to do that, despite the pleas sent to legal authorities at all levels of government in Croatia (from the president of the republic to the national government) by the son whose mother was killed while he fought for Croatia.
And then, the only institution with the authority to transport from Rijeka to Pula the remains of the killed "enemy" refused to do so, so that already scheduled burial of the remains of Ms. Knezevic, thanks to arrogance and insolence of certain Zdenko Ognjencic from the Office For the Missing, had to be postponed. Is CIA to be blamed for that crime and the later attitude towards the victim and its loved ones, just like towards numerous victims killed after the Storm? One would say that, on the contrary, this is a tragedy of this state, whose end is not in sight, in that the history of the war is to be written only by politicians, who are up to their heads involved in its dark side. Either with their participation in crimes, or attempt to hide the truth about crimes, or finally the attempt to in all ways possible avoid punishment for those who proved their courage and patriotism by murdering the mother of Zeljko Knezevic.