VIEWPOINT FROM LONDON

CO-OPERATING WITH THE SERBIAN MAFIA

by Brian Gallagher

The Croatian Herald, Australia No. 959 - 21 March 2003

 

For some time I have maintained that the "regional co-operation" policies of the European Union will primarily benefit organised crime, terrorists and the like, and will damage Croatia. The assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, apparently by gangsters, has emphasised this point. Who was Djindjic?

When news broke of Djindjic's assassination, many news agencies - CNN in particular - lauded him as a great democrat, who took on Milosevic, organised crime etc.

Let's un-spin that. Djindjic was a 'Precani' - that is a Serb from outside Serbia - from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Like many such 'Precani' politicians - "Arkan", Radovan Karadzic etc - he was notable for his Greater Serbia extremism, supporting Serbia's wars. He helped Radovan Karadzic, endorsing him in elections.Indeed, in 1996 he claimed that an opposition win against Milosevic would mean the union of Republika Srpska (BiH) with Serbia itself.

Djindjic studied Marxist philosophy in Germany, reportedly associating with far left Characters linked with terrorism. He was thus compared with German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, who has a similar past. In 2002 Djindjic claimed he left Germany a 'conservative' having apparently changed his views - but not before completing a Marxist thesis.

Djindjic - who was himself linked to gangsterism - was given millions by the US government to defeat Milosevic; he was in their pocket. This may help explain why he was left alone when it transpired that Serbia had been providing military expertise to Iraq - which he must surely have known about.

He was a firm believer in a hegemonic Serbia, enthusiastically supporting "regional co-operation" and believed the ex-Yugoslav republics should come together as a block. That would certainly benefit Serbia, but hardly Croatia, who would then be linked with a country described as possibly becoming "Europe's Columbia". The link is already happening; the BBC ran a headline "Balkan horror at Djindjic death" quoting President Mesic. It is a disaster for Croatia's image to be linked with mafia-riddled Serbia; people will assume Croatia is just the same.

And this is why "regional co-operation" is dangerous for Croatia. Serbia is a country where the mafia can murder the Prime Minister. It's not as if this is an isolated event. Assassinations are regular in Serbia; a senior officer in the Federal Interior Ministry was murdered last November.

EU imposed "regional co-operation" policies such as freedom of movement - relaxing of visa requirements will be of great assistance in helping the Serbian mafia spread its influence.

Does Croatia want that? Does Europe? Ironically, it may well be that the Serbian mafia killed someone whose policies may have benefited them. Croatia - and Europe - needs to think seriously. And Croatia should also ponder the implications of the West helping into power a man like Djindjic.

 

© Brian Gallagher

My 'Viewpoint from London' column appears fortnightly in the Australian 'Croatian Herald'.