VIEWPOINT FROM LONDON

CROATIA SAVED BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

by Brian Gallagher

The Croatian Herald, Australia No. 992 - 21.11.03

 

Croatia is again taking half the blame for the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). Ex-Yugoslav Prime Minister Ante Markovic at the Milosevic trial has spoken of a deal between Milosevic and the late President Tudjman of Croatia to divide BiH between themselves. The death of ex-BiH president Alija Izetbegovic has also brought out similar accusations. This perception of Croatia has done much damage to the country. Whatever deals may or may not have been made does not reflect the reality of what actually happened; Croatia and Croats in BiH saved the country. The Croatian government should recast Croatia as the saviour of BiH.

It is alleged that in early 1991 Milosevic and Tudjman agreed to divide BiH between Croatia and Serbia. This may or may not be true. If it is, then clearly Milosevic misled Tudjman. This division was to be peaceful. The plan may seem disagreeable, but it cannot be construed as a war crime.

Far more importantly the deal was off the moment Serbia attacked Croatia. Significantly, Milosevic's forces attempted to assassinate Tudjman by bombing his palace in an air strike in October 1991. It is hard to believe that Tudjman would have agreed to his own death.

Common sense dictates that this alleged deal is meaningless - and more likely a way for Milosevic to hide his true intentions from Tudjman by telling him what he may have wanted to hear. Milosevic may have strung that out with Tudjman for years after, if we believe they kept in contact one way or the other. But in any event, reality on the ground demonstrates there was no actual 'carve-up'.

When the Serbs attacked BiH the first people to resist were the Croats who had established some military forces - the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). Izetbegovic in Sarajevo had failed to prepare. On the contrary, he invited the Yugoslav army into BiH. Indeed, prior to that he gave invaluable assistance to Serbia in its war against Croatia. During that war the Serbs destroyed the Bosnian Croat village of Ravno. Izetbegovic did not react.

Had it not been for the HVO, BiH would have been overwhelmed almost immediately; there would be no BiH today. If there was some deal between Milosevic and Tudjman to divide BiH then why exactly did the HVO fight the Serbs? Should not all their efforts have been against the Muslims (Bosniaks)?

The Muslim-Croat war is frequently cited as evidence of Croatia's bad intent towards BiH. But here things are changing. Charles Shrader's superlative new history of the conflict effectively rubbishes the entire idea of a carve-up by establishing that it was the Bosniak side that started the war in order to cleanse Central BiH of its Croats. Shrader also points out that the transit of arms via Croatia to BiH, the continued co-operation of HVO and BiH forces throughout the Muslim-Croat conflict - let alone the fact that Izetbegovic placed his family in the safety of Zagreb - is not exactly consistent with a carve-up.

Shrader is a respected American military historian. Further, his book is published by the reputable American Texas A&M University press's Eastern European Studies. These studies have an editorial board which contains people sympathetic to the BiH state, and who were critical of Tudjman. In other words, this is a book that is credible and cannot be dismissed as Croat propaganda.

Zagreb should use this book to defend itself against allegations of aggression against BiH. Indeed, given Sarajevo's assistance to Serbia during the war against Croatia, Zagreb has grounds to accuse Sarajevo of collaborating with Serbian aggression. Despite that, thousands of Bosniaks were accepted as refugees in Croatia. If Croatia were an aggressor on the level of Serbia why would Bosniaks seek refuge there? And why would Croatia accept them - especially when it had its own refugees to contend with.

The Muslim-Croat war was over in 1994 - with many Croats 'cleansed' from Central BiH. Croat and Bosnian forces then devoted all efforts against the Serbs. In 1995, Croatia launched Operation Storm. Croat forces recaptured last swathes of its territory. In the process, the beleaguered Bihac pocket in BiH was saved from a Srebrenica style fate. Serb forces were rolled back and peace in BiH was achieved. 49% of BiH was given to the Serbs, not as part of any Tudjman/Milosevic deal - but by the international community.

It was not Izetbegovic who saved BiH as has been stated in tributes to him. The alleged Milosevic/Tudjman deal as described by various including Paddy Ashdown and Ante Markovic, bear no relation whatsoever to what happened on the ground. It was the Croatian Army, and the HVO that saved BiH. Croatia should inform the world of this reality - or face a future equated to those who besieged Sarajevo and slaughtered thousands at Srebrenica.

 

© Brian Gallagher

My 'Viewpoint from London' column appears fortnightly in the Australian 'Croatian Herald' and thereafter at www.croatiafocus.com