used without permission, for "fair use" only

Herceg-Bosna is Ready for the Hague

by Smiljko Sagolj

Nedjeljna Dalmacija, Split, Croatia, 11/24 1995

"We, the volunteers from Mostar, a few thousands of us, volunteer to be tried in the Hague." This message, signed by Petar Zelenika, a man who has distinguished himself in the defense of the Croatian territory of Mostar and is the president of the city Association of the Volunteers, was sent these days to the elevated "palace of European justice" in the Hague as an answer to the indictments against Dario Kordic and general Tihomir Blaskic.

We focused on it, not only because it is a "journalistic curiosity", in a flood of telegrams to the two legends of the defense of the central Bosnia Croats sent from "the field", but also as an illustration of an ever more frequent reaction and the attitude of the local Croats which can be summed up with these words: IF KORDIC AND BLASKIC HAVE TO GO TO THE HAGUE, THAN IT IS AN HONOR TO BE THERE.

"I don't want to give any statements," was general Tihomir Blaskic's reaction when I asked him about the indictment; he responded decisively, like a soldier, just the way he was during the whole duration of this war which had been imposed on Croats, just the way he was when we together inspected the village of Krizanicevo and Buhine Kuce where the muslim units tried to bury the Croats of central Bosnia through the murder of civilians. He added: " Don't take it personally. I'm just defending myself this way: of course, I am not ashamed of my deeds."

Whose Federation Is It?

General Blaskic and president Kordic have been receiving hundreds of supportive telegrams these days, from Vares to Neum, from Posavina and Usora to Ljubusko [Croatian majority towns and regions in Bosnia]. "Stand high and be proud, because we support you," is the unanimous message of their soldiers and numerous associations: widows, volunteers, lower house of the Parliament of Herceg-Bosna etc.. Of course, all this support is also another reason to hold out for a better solution now when some would like to draw a map against Croatian interest. However, another question draws attention of a more attentive observer: haven't we unintentionally, with all this support, brought an additional attention to these two men, especially president Kordic. Many individuals, especially those who have tasted the bitterness and tragedy of politics, say half-seriously half-jokingly that besides ten commandments there is the most dangerous, eleventh contemporary commandment: DEAR GOD, DON'T LET IT BE MY TURN. Of course it is lot easier to guess why Blaskic's and Kordic's turn has come right now. Simply, that is an additional pressure on Croats, not only because of the marathon negotiations, but also because the "fundamental people"[Bosnian Muslims], especially its leadership, hasn't yet given up the idea of (what it calls) "united and civic Bosnia-Hercegovina". The only difference now is that, due to the circumstances, the demands have been reduced. If it is impossible to get the whole of Bosnia, a Federation will do, at least the part outside the "Serb entity". There is nothing new in this, but the question is when were the indictments really issued, and with whose, intentional or unintentional help?

Let's consider the facts: Last June, during the preparations for the HDZ [largest Croatian political party in Bosnia, a sister party of Croatian HDZ, the ruling party in Croatia] Bosnia-Hercegovina congress, the district court in Zenica (read Muslim court) issued an indictment against Dario Kordic. Even then it was obvious that Kordic was one of the most serious candidates for the president of the party [HDZ]. Of course, the politicians who had been promoted in the meantime, although some of them had never formally belonged to the party, wanted to grab both "state" and "party" power in Herceg-Bosna. Especially Kresimir Zubak, then and today the president of the Presidential council and the Federation "boss". It is the fact that at the congress, Kordic was elected the party president with overwhelming support and that Zubak, although one of the candidates for that post, wasn't even present at the session at which the secret voting results were announced, although this would have made sense since he had already been calling for "the unity of the Croatian people."

Massacred Croats

It is also the fact that several days at the session of the both houses of the Parliament of Herceg-Bosna, Zubak confused quite a few representatives by asserting that the "antifederal wing" had won at the HDZ congress; he used the election of three vicepresidents, Bozo Rajic,Srecko Vucina and Jozo Maric, as evidence for his claim.

Only "politically blind" people do not understand that Zubak wasn't aiming at the vicepresidents. The "bullet" was supposed to hit newly elected Kordic. In the "common" interest, the difficulties were ironed out at the "higher" place, but the embers still burn in the ashes. It is also obvious that the "indictment" of the district court in Zenica was supposed to demonstrate support of the muslim leadership to those who wanted to use "the Federation moment" and take over HDZ.

Time goes by but little is forgotten. Instead of strengthening the institutions of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna, which was emphasized as the most important goal at the HDZ party congress, extra-institutional battle for personal power gains in intensity. The often stated claims of Kresimir Zubak, first in the "state hierarchy", and Dr. Jadranko Prlic, prime minister of Herceg-Bosna for almost four years, that "we have completely built all the levers of the system," sound so silly. And again we come back to the question: why were the indictments against Croats issued right now? It would be easiest to say that this is a "muslim", actually Alija's, plot. However, it would be better to turn to ourselves and admit that the indictments are to a large extent a result of Croatian mistakes. While the Croatian warriors, battle-proven warriors, were accused in the Muslim media for alleged crimes, the "institutions and levers of the system" were quiet. Why did they not, if they already exist, demand from THE HAGUE to examine the facts of the massacres in Croatian villages of Orliste, Trusine, Uzdol, Krizancevo, Doljani...etc. etc.

What is(n't) Izetbegovic Doing?

Let's be realistic and ask ourselves: is that Izetbegovic's fault, or is it the fault of the "completely built levers of the system" in Herceg-Bosna?

Is it only Alija Izetbegovic's fault that his one year mandate lasts more than five years and a few months?

Is it Izetbegovic's fault that the Presidency of Herceg-Bosna is a group of individuals without clear duties and that the HDZ Presidency and the government of Herceg-Bosna exist more on "paper" than in reality?

Is it Izetbegovic's fault that for months there have been no Croats in the Federal government, while the government of Herceg-Bosna is headed by "the deputies of the deputies' deputies"? Of course, Izetbegovic is still doing his job, also because of the fact that "the institutions and levers of the authority in Herceg-Bosna" haven't done what, on behalf of the victims from Orliste and Uzdol, they must have done. Has anyone been wondering why has there been so much attention regarding the Mostar Croats? It seems exactly because the County authorities in Mostar, from the county council to the city HDZ organization, are doing their job. If someone doesn't trust me, just consider the number of recently opened companies, schools, apartments, galleries, etc. in Mostar. Isn't it absurd that neither the presidency nor the government of Herceg-Bosna have a legal nor economic adviser, although in Mostar, there are faculties for both disciplines at the Croatian university. All this is only seemingly unrelated to the topic. Let us go back to the legally and in every other way incomplete indictments against Muslim leaders and commanders who have committed numerous massacres of Croats. It is easy to say: "we have a Commission for war crimes." We have a lot of things, but most of them only exist on paper. A lot of agreements and treaties have been signed for and about Herceg-Bosna, but the legal advice of the Mostar University law faculty has never been sought. Maybe politicians know everything! Only now the documents are coming out of archives.

The "Fundamental People" Has no Sins?

Croats have defended the free part of Bosnia-Hercegovina, for the most part from Yugoslavia. Today, however, they are being accused of undermining that same Bosnia-Hercegovina. Of course, the year old accusation against the leader of the Croatian party in Bosnia-Hercegovina [HDZ] and the Croatian military leader (general Blaskic as the chief of staff of the HVO of Herceg-Bosna) from Zenica, is nothing but an attempt to spread the guilt between the Serbs and Croats and present them both as aggressors. The "Serb political leader" (Karadzic) and "military leader" (Mladic) have also been indicted. The goal is clear: only one nation, the "fundamental people", his army and leadership are different. What absurdity! What about tens of thousands of Velika Kladusa Muslims who still cannot return to their homes? The Hague keeps quiet about the leaders of the "fundamental" people.

Croats, due to their army and strength, have liberated 85 percent of the free territory in Bosnia-Hercegovina. They will not allow that their leaders be accused of war crimes. Croats, however, must consider the passivity of the institutions of Herceg-Bosnia in this affair. Hell is not always in "someone else".

Translated on 4/24 1996