KRAJINA SHAME

letters published in Private Eye

Private Eye is Britain's top satirical magazine, published fortnightly. It has no political bias and also runs gossip and investigative material on politics etc. It is read widely by the political classes – just to see if they're in it! It once ran a hilarious article on the myth of Serb military skill. However, it has also mentioned "ethnic cleansing" by Croats of Serbs in "Krajina". On both occasions I wrote to them and on both occasions they published my letters - using the same "Krajina Shame" heading! The first letter was published with an accompanying letter written by Croat whose village had been attacked by the Serbs.

 

Private Eye No 977

28 May 1999

 

Sir, I'm surprised that you are repeating the one about the Croats "ethnically cleansing" the Serbs from "Krajina" in Croatia (Eye 976).

Rather than being part of a communist "Greater Serbia", Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. The Serb minority with the support of the Yugoslav Federal Army promptly carved out one third of Croatia (wanting even more) virtually cutting the country in half, with the intention of forming "Greater Serbia". In "Krajina" thousands of Croats were ethnically cleansed; it was in Croatia where the Serbs began the policy. Elsewhere the city of Vukovar was destroyed and Dubrovnik bombarded.

Together, the Krajina Serbs and the Yugoslav Army slaughtered 13, 000 Croats and force half a million of them out of their homes. Over 1,700 are still missing. The UN was supposed to reintegrate the occupied territories back into Croatia but did not. The Krajina Serbs were certainly not interested in negotiations to this end.

In 1995, they assisted the Bosnian Serbs on an assault on the UN safe haven of Bihac (invading a sovereign territory). If this assault had succeeded Bihac would have fallen (with no doubt Srebrinica style consequences) and "Greater Serbia" established. With a now fully equipped army, Croatia retook its territory in a lightening offensive, which also saved Bihac. The Krajina Serbs fled the region ahead of the offensive – following their leaders. The "invincible" Serbs were defeated for the first time, and with the assistance of NATO bombing the Serbs were rolled back in Bosnia. The "Greater Serbia" project was smashed.

As in all wars, there were some very nasty incidents, which should not be ignored, but the fact is the Krajina Serbs fled because of the fear of reprisals for their killing and ethnic cleansing of Croats – a rather different situation from the "ethnic cleansing" of Serbs you mention.

Regards

Brian Gallagher

 

Private Eye No.985

17 September 1999

Sir, Re: "In the Back" comments on Croatia (Eye 984). You conveniently leave out the following: The "Krajina" Serbs, with the Yugoslav army annexed one third of Croatia, forced half a million Croats and others out of their homes and murdered (it is now estimated) around 20,000 Croats.

UN forces in Croatia were supposed to return Croats to their homes and disarm the "Krajina" Serbs. The "Krajina" Serbs continued to "terrain cleanse" (as they put it) the areas they held of Croats as well as shelling Croatian cities – while the UN looked on. The Krajina Serbs were allowed to invade Bosnia to attack the safe haven of Bihac to create "Greater Serbia". The Croatian Army took action in August 1995, retaking its territory and saving Bihac.

As for "driving out" the Serbs from "Krajina" (in reality areas such as northern Dalmatia), they left ahead of the offensive under the orders of their leadership and for the good reason that many had been involved in war crimes.

Regards

Brian Gallagher