If according to these indictments operation "Storm" was a genocidal action, then that burden, and some members of the ruling coalition from different parties agree about that, will affect the future generations in Croatia.
Then the issue of hitherto and future reorganization of this region and voluntary departure of Croatia, Slovenia and others from the former Yugoslavia towards Europe comes up. Is this again a currently trendy message that restitution is "in" and destitution "out"? That it is necessary for years to come to prove oneself in the region in order to earn global benefits and faster access to Europe?
If, on the other hand, in the indictments generals are accused of specific crimes and not of genocide (which is less likely) then they should be extradited without additional questions.
It is obvious that the USA is not satisfied with the speed of expected changes in Croatia for which, obviously, she blames the current authorities. From the vantage point of the Bush administration, which is still feeling out the Balkans seeking its own policy that would replace Clinton's human rights based engagement, things are very simple - if something is not white, then it must be black. If they gave up Milosevic, you can certainly give up some Gotovina. And thus we pulled a bad card and pushed a trump card in the hands of the Hague. If this ruling coalition had more foresight and intellect it would not have allowed that more or less insignificant participants in the Homeland War are transformed into martyrs for popular processions. The citizens of this country who relatively speaking belong to the circle of readers of this newspaper (and still haven't left seeking better life abroad) have had enough of Norac and the Hague and the whole retro team that does not strike a cord with the younger urbane generations.
If certain authorities in a year and six months fail to display even a minimum of cohesion, then those who voted for them are simply struck by collective amnesia. If they "surfed" to power on top of a revolutionary wave caused by ten-years-old stale and backward policies of the HDZ, in which the only officially approved happiness was due to national marches, then now they are openly threatened by accelerated disappearance of that support. Six, then five (IDS gone), then four (HSLS leaving), then...? The Parliament will definitely in thee days finally have quorum as the survival of the ruling coalition will depend on every vote.
If there was a coalition consensus that all those who deviated during the Homeland War be seriously and responsibly prosecuted at home, then Carla Del Ponte would not have arrived on punitive expedition in the middle of the tourist season denying Racan a breather until the autumn. Now, we're where we are. We seek national consensus regarding Gotovina, and the budget is empty. There is increasingly less bread, games are abundant, and uncertainty is overwhelming.
Secretary of the Croat Legal Council Vinko Burazer stated that the verdict in the case against General Blaskic was legally doubtful and full of contradiction and political qualifications. "We should initiate the process for abolishment of the Hague tribunal," emphasized Marko Veselica, the honorary president of the Society. He asserted that the trial of Norac, as a knight of the Homeland War, was a trial of the whole war. "Milosevic's extradition will be the excuse for ever greater pressure of the international community on Croatia," Veselica said.