ANNIVERSARY OF THE "WAR FOR PEACE"

State Oblivion of its Own Past

Why didn't anyone in Montenegro want or wish to remember the events of eight years ago and the "Dubrovnik Operation"

AIM Podgorica, October 17, 1999

Upon his return to Zagreb, Stipe Mesic, Vice-President of the Croatian National Party, stated for Radio "Free Europe" that during his four day visit to Montenegro he discovered that the situation was euphoric and very much resembled the one in Croatia in 1990 and that everything was pointing to the conclusion that Montenegro was heading for independence.

However, Mesic did not say whether he though that it would inevitably lead to a new war, as was the case with Croatia.

However, it is characteristic that in a contact show organized by the TVCG neither he nor the host of the Montenegrin national television said a word about such a danger. What is more, during that one hour they did not even mention the eighth anniversary of the "war for peace" in Dubrovnik in October 1991. And Mesic was the man who could tell much about this to the Montenegrin viewers right from the horse's mouth.

This episode with Stipe Mesic is characteristic. Namely, no one in Montenegro, except for the independent weekly "Monitor" marked the inglorious jubilee - the eighth anniversary of the war operations in the town at the foot of Mt.Srdj by which Montenegrins have earned the "reputation" of barbarians and destroyers of Dubrovnik. Mesic could have testified how he, as the then President of the SFRY Presidency, on board of the ship "Slavija" leading a convoy of some thirty ships, after pressures of and detailed control by the Yugo-Army, had run a blockade of the city of Dubrovnik and brought food to its inhabitants. At that time, although Mesic was at the highest state function in still one country, the Montenegrin media had called him the "Ustasha".

For example the "Pobjeda" wrote: "So, Mr.Mesic has arrived to Dubrovnik. Will the famous dynamiter from Banski Dvori resort to his well-known scenario or, knock on wood, perhaps the Supreme Commander of the armed forces of Yugoslavia will visit a YPA unit on the Dubrovnik battlefield?! The only thing that is certain about Mesic is that he is mesic".

General Pavle Strugar, Commander of the Territorial Defence of Montenegro who was on state TV proclaimed Commander of the Second Operational Group, accused the then "Ustashas" of not respecting the truce: "Mesic's arrival and his rally on the Adriatic Sea have shown that Fascist hordes which have gathered here from all parts of the country do not want the peace to be restored. When Dubrovnik lays down arms it will have peace and will return to normal life". Lieutenant-colonel Dr.Radoslav Svicevic said that Mesic brought with him to Dubrovnik the 114th Brigade with 700 Ustashas, including 25 mercenaries, while Colonel Radomir Damjanovic (who soon after that became general) revealed that among foreign mercenaries that Mesic allegedly brought with him there were "black and white killers from all over the world - Africans, Dutchmen, Germans, Argentinians..."

We all know how this ended. Dirty, plundering war lasted a year. After that by Cosic-Tudjman contract each step of the Croatian territory had to be abandoned and demilitarized in the zone of 15 kms. on both sides. This left grave scars behind: three hundred killed and one thousand and five hundred wounded inhabitants of the Dubrovnik region, not counting those from other units of the Croatian Army. Damages caused by the attack from the peak of Peljesac peninsula up to the Montenegrin border were assessed to two billion American dollars. Nine famous palaces were burned down in the old center of Dubrovnik. On the other hand, Montenegro forgot its 165 "liberators" of Dubrovnik, who were actually defenders of Milosevic's Yugoslavia "at any cost".

Now: those who led Montenegro to war are washing hands of that like Pillates. And that is why, when state television had already brought Mesic into its studio, some hotheads from those times should have been reminded of their acts. Primarily, the Vice-President of the SFRY Presidency, Branko Kostic, who in Mesic's words never had his own "ego" but always thought with Milosevic's head. When he retired from politics, Kostic admitted to the scenario: "The idea was not to conquer Dubrovnik, but to seal it off from both land and the sea, and to proceed to the Neretva river. In case the YPA withdrew, as we withdrew the army from the territory of the Serbian Krajina, the plan was to withdraw it up to the Mt.Debeli Brijeg. Then this area would be taken by the UN peace forces without Croatia having any jurisdiction over it and then we could talk about disarmament".

At the time of Mesic's presidentship and the attack on Dubrovnik the Minister of Defence, Army General Veljko Kadijevic, has long ago unmasked manipulations in which he took part whole-heartedly that Croatia intended to attack Montenegro: "Our intention to go to Dubrovnik was not only a preparation for our actions in the direction of Split, but also a possibility to make a compromise with the international community. Namely, if it wanted us to yield at Dubrovnik we then wanted it to be more relenting at other places".

Momir Bulatovic who in the meantime changed sides and became Prime Minister of the Federal Government which Montenegro refuses to recognize, has already said that he held General Kadijevic responsible for the war and mentioned his "war trap". To the Belgrade magazine "Profil" Bulatovic gave his post festum story: "As President of the Montenegrin Presidency I was informed that Croatia had 30 thousand armed men who were supposed to take Prevlaka and Herceg Novi. I had to act. Those are the hardest moments I remember. I sent to war not only citizens of Montenegro, but my closest relatives. I went and talked to soldiers. I told them: "We have to defend this country not only in Montenegro, but also outside its borders".

The Fifth Montenegrin Brigade was deployed at the Cemovsko polje and only few unfortunate soldiers took off their uniforms and threw away their arms. They were despised by everyone. The others sang the old patriotic ballad: "Oh mountain, break out in leaves as Montenegro is preparing for battle". I had a hard time fighting back my tears. They all breathed as one and were prepared to defend Montenegro...It was only later that I learned that there was no trace of those 30 thousand Ustashas, that there were no more than 600 armed men there...Irrespective of all stories about the plundering of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik was neither destroyed nor ruined like Mostar, Vukovar or Sarajevo. Despite incidents in Konavle which was no credit to anyone, our soldiers behaved as a well organized army".

Bulatovic should know what that "organized army" did in Konavle. Let us remind you: 720 houses were burned to the ground in the Konavle commune alone! Interestingly enough Mesic said that one time in Ohrid when asked about the possible outcome of a referendum in Montenegro Bulatovic said: "The majority of Montenegrins would be for an independent Montenegro and would not agree with any union with Serbia". Later on Bulatovic will play a shameful role and cheat the Montenegrins. God knows for which time?

The current Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic is still silent. Early this year to a journalist's question whether he will apologize to Dubrovnik citizens and Montenegrins for the war in Konavle, he answered irritatedly that "this was no time for apologies" and that he "was not sure who should apologize to whom" for events from early nineties. But, until the Montenegrin authorities apologize to the Dubrovnik citizens - and naturally the Montenegrins too - for all that was done to them and until they admit their responsibility for that, its positive transformation will be doubted with a good reason.

Hence, the careless disregard of a shameful anniversary seems symptomatic. The only problems is how to go into future without knowing what has happened in such recent past.

Branko VOJICIC

(AIM)