used without permission, for "fair use" only

Burden And Triumph

by Milan IVKOSIC

Vecernji List, Zagreb, Croatia, July 6, 2001

Almost every single newspaper commentary published these days warned about the danger from the right if Croatia agrees to extradite any Croats to the Hague. Evidence of war crimes comes from neither the right of left or the middle, so the possible indictment should offer convincing evidence, rather than being more or less acceptable for the right, left or the center. If the Croatian authorities give in to pressures despite the lack of convincing evidence, then they will not be absolved by being more or less to the right or left, or being opposed by the right.

The fear of the Hague is spreading in Croatia as a political, rather than a factual fear. The extradition of Milosevic plays an important role in that. After his extradition, allegedly, it should be easier to extradite some Croats. With that extradition the Serbian Prime Minister allegedly shamed the Croatian authorities. Djindjic would give a moral lesion to Croatia if he admitted the aggression against Croatia, if he apologized for that aggression and paid the war damages.

If the Croatian authorities, in the today's meeting with Carla Del Ponte, took such a position with respect to the Hague and the so-called international community, then Djindjic would be still very far from the opportunity to be compared with Croatia and her politicians in any positive manner. We should only recall that Djindjic's political views from the last ten years indicate that he extradited Milosevic to the Hague as a spent person, rather than as an abandoned idea about Serbian domination. The extradition of Milosevic to the Hague is a defeat, so that if Croatia gives in and extradites to the Hague her victory, that will be a catastrophe.

Mesic's persistent repetition of the formula about the individualization of the guilt is valid as long as a state does not take the place of that individual, in the dock. And a state can take her place in the dock through wartime symbols, wartime leaders, generals, politicians. Therefore, the resistance to that trend has nothing to do with conservativism.

Some Croat journalists glorify Djindjic and attack Croat politicians because they "abuse worn out phrases about the aggressor and the victim". Zoran Djindjic most definitely agrees with that. We can be certain that after Serbia delivered to the Hague her burden, he expects that Croatia extradite her war victory.


Translated on January 17, 2002
Vecernji List