Croatia rejects indictment of its wartime army chief

AP ^ | 9/20/02 | Snjezana Vukic

[kosta50]

By SNJEZANA VUKIC, Associated Press Writer

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Croatia rejected the U.N. war crimes court's indictment against its wartime army chief of staff on Friday, arguing that the court's order for the arrest was technically flawed.

The court in The Hague, Netherlands, improperly issued the indictment against Gen. Janko Bobetko, an 83-year-old retired general who would be the highest-ranking Croatian official ever indicted by the court, said Goran Granic, the vice prime minister.

"(The court) is obliged to deliver a document which is legally and formally correct," he said. "Only then can we act upon it."

The warrant was invalid because it did not specifically ask Croatian authorities to arrest Bobetko - a formality made in previous cases, sources said while speaking on condition of anonymity. The Hague court declined to comment on the issue.

The decision delayed the case, which has caused an uproar in this southeastern European country of 4.5 million that only recently won its independence from Yugoslavia. Bobetko was a leading figure of Croatia's 1991 war and many Croats consider him a symbol of that struggle.

Granic refused to reveal the charges against Bobetko, and U.N. court never comments on indictments until they are unsealed or released.

Croatian media have speculated about the indictment against Bobetko for weeks, saying he is accused of responsibility in the 1993 killing of dozens of Serbs in the central Croatian area known as the Medak Pocket.

The government's determination to cooperate with the court has drawn fierce opposition from war veterans and nationalists.

Bobetko, who has joined veterans in their protests against the government's efforts to prosecute Croat war crimes, pledged Friday never to surrender.

"I made a final decision: They can only take me dead from this house," he told reporters at his home in the capital, Zagreb.

Bobetko charged that through the indictment, the U.N. court "wants to erase our history, condemn our freedom." He did not refer to any atrocities that may be part of the indictment.

The war erupted in 1991, when Serbs, backed by the Yugoslav army, took up arms to rebel against Croatia's decision to break with Yugoslavia. The fighting ended four years later when Croatia recaptured lands seized by the rebels.

[kosta50]

I think it strange that an official indictment, issued on numerous other occasions, would all of a sudden have a "typo." I think it even more strange that a "correct" copy of the indictment would be sent immediately and delivered manually or electronically within hours.

The technicallity cited is not whether Bobetko has been charged. He has. Rather it fails to ask the Croatian government to arrest him. So, why are then charges against him being kept secret by the Croatian government? Obviosuly, there is more to the story.

One could assume that Bobetko is expected to surrender on his own will rather than to be arrested. If that fails, then another indictment can be issued along with a warrent for his arrest. But I think it is perfectly clear that something is seriously flawed here: (1) either the Croatian government is about to collapse because nationalists still call shots in Croatia or (2) the ICTY is sending a smokescreen to show the world that it doesn't only go after Serbs and has no real intention of prosecuting Bobetko.

[kosta50]

Let's heart it.

[Viktor]

The war erupted in 1991, when Serbs, backed by the Yugoslav army, took up arms to rebel against Croatia's decision to break with Yugoslavia. The fighting ended four years later when Croatia recaptured lands seized by the rebels.

I thought rebels, by definition, were the breakaway group and not those fighting to preserve the union.??
Language and logic broken.

[kosta50]

This is the first time in post-war Croatia that the entire Sabor stands together on an issue

Perhaps it is because this would set a precedent that could affect too many Sabor members and turn into a witch hunt?

I think this is dysinformational as hell. Someone is faking it -- either the ICTY is playing "even handedness" but has no real intention of prosecuting the general, or Croatia is simply faking when it pledges to cooperate with the Hague. It will become very clear very soon who is doing what.

[Bobetko]has asked that if anyone is sent to arrest him, let it not be his former soldiers, but the UDBA (former Yugoslav secret service) and KOS (former Yugoslav military counter-intelligence) agents

That's pretty melodramatic, considering (1) that he first said he would never surrender and (2) that UDBA/KOS are no longer present in Croatia. He left out NATO/U, of course, because he knows this will not happen. Only Serbs can stoop so low as to arrest their own officials and hand them over to a kangaroo court. They will have to deal with that dirt on their historical conscience for generations to come.

[kosta50]

I thought rebels, by definition, were the breakaway group and not those fighting to preserve the union.?? Language and logic broken

Well, consider the author.

[branicap]

How nice and heroic from Bobetko!UDBA?KOS?Both of these services were well aweare of Bobetko`s anti state activities and done nothing to arrest him (and many others) prior to 1991 Civil war in Yugoslavia!"His soldiers"??Which ones:the ones that he betrayed(while he was a recipient of the Army pension till 1993,he didn`t refuse Yugo money!)?

According to Bobetko,I presume,Miloshevich is a Prosecutor in Hague and he had orcestrated this warant!!!

The whole thing is laughable...

[branicap]

The land was "seized" by "rebels" five hundred years ago...Never mind.

[branicap]

tropoljac,go and play stupid with someone else,not with me,OK?

It seams to me that you had becomwe a faitfull desciple of Hoplite,with your "lateral thinking" answers!

You can not "grant" something to someone if he /she is not already there,right?!To your obvious displeasure,Serbs were INVITED to Croatian and Hungarian provinces and settled there in order to create a buffer zone against tha Turks.The name Krajina derives from Military Frontier(Vojna Krajina) which was spreading from Croatia,Hungary,Moldova,Ukraina.Speaking of which name Ukraina(U-Krajina) has the same orrigin!As the English historian Norman Davis explains in his monumental book "Europe:a history" :"Ukraina(On the Edge)"

But,we both know what we`re talking about,don`t we Tropi?Don`t worry a few more years and Croatia will be etnicly pure(no Serbs)and all Croatian problems will be solved forever!

[Consort]

[kosta50]

Re: #12

Cute, so what's the point. What is "stozer" anyway? And, how come Croats use a foreign word like "general" instead of some of those newly minted old words from the 12th century AD?

[Consort]

Cute, so what's the point.

---

The story is about a Croatian general. The insignia is that of a Croatian General. Flags, insignias, crests, coats-of -arms, blazons, etc add a touch of local color. Do you agree?

---

What is "stozer" anyway? And, how come Croats use a foreign word like "general" instead of some of those newly minted old words from the 12th century AD?

---

Don't know. I looked up the insignia; it's your turn to look up the rest.

[branicap]

Depopulated from the original defenders???By whom?To much running West I suppose!

Vlachs?Noel Malcolm relative of yours,maybe?Tropi,Valch is not enough;you should say Black Vlachs,dear!

BTW Vlachs live in border region of Serbia and Romania,and is a term used by ignorant historians to describe old name of Romania:Valachia.But,I will make a deal with you:I am as much Vlach as you are Iranian/Persian,OK?After all,Tudjman sent an expedition to find your (and mine) ancestors to Iran!

All the best,

Branicap,Blond Vlach!

[kosta50]

The story about Krayina is as different as night and day, if you read Serbian and Coratian sources. For instance, the latter will say nothing about the first "wave" of Serbs invited by princess Jelena Subic in the 14th century; nor anything about the 15th century settlements; they only talk of 17th century "Vlachs" who were "made" into Serbs in the 19th century. They say nothing of Kosovo Serbs and Bishop Charnoyevich. At any rate, these "Vlachs" were under Austrian control according to one sourse, and autonomus and free according to another, and so on.

Obviously, there will be no agreement on this one and so let it be. However, the reality is that the Serbs who were exiled or who fled fearing Croatian reprisals, will return to Krayina as soon as an opportunity appears. I would not take anything as permanent in the Balkans and ignoring the sheer gravity of a nation whose numbers are larger than any other group in the area seems outright naive at best, sheer stupidity and shortgihtedness at worst.

Only a complete imbecil would think the current state of the Balkans is "settled." The Serbs won't go away and the neighboring nations will have to address issues with Serbs in the future. When this happens is anyone's guess. But while we may not be able to fortell the future, we can create conditions that involve "new reality check" and look for win-win solutions of give-and-take. I would rather make the place safe for coming generations. Being stuck in the past and tit-for-tat will only guarantee a miserable, possible prematurely short lives of generations being born today. Is that really what we all want?

[kosta50]

Thanks Jimer.