The Persecution of Ante Gotovina (part 1)

I am back in Canada reflecting on the events that I witnessed over the last week sitting in the visitors gallery at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. What brought me to the ICTY at The Hague was to opportunity show my clan's support and solidarity behind General Ante Gotovina.

General Ante Gotovina was born on October 12, 1955 in Tkon, on Pashman Island, across from Biograd na Moru in Zadar County Croatia. As the crow flies, 10 kilometers from the spot where my father was born. In 1973, at the tender age of 17 he ran away from home and joined the French Foreign Legion under the alias of Andrija Grabovac (a Hercegovian name). He completed his required service to France, gained French Citizenship, and retired to South America where he grew avocados. In 1991 when the JNA (Yugoslav National Army) was preparing to destroy the emerging State of Croatia, he returned to his native land to enlist in the Croatian Home Guard as an ordinary soldier. He rapidly rose through the ranks as he was one of the few soldiers who had combat extensive combat experience prior to the Croatian War of Independence, and by the Summer of 1995 he had gained the rank of General. On August 5, 1995 he commanded the Croatian forces in Operation Storm and in the span of 84 hours recaptured all of Croatia's internationally recognized territory with the exception of parts of Slavonia. During Operation Storm approximately 150 Serbian civilians died in a war zone that encompassed approximately one quarter of Croatia's, as recognized by the United Nations, Internationally Recognized Territory of a Sovereign State. It is because of events that occurred during the course of Operation Storm that Ante Gotovina now stands on trial at the ICTY at The Hague.

When taken into context of the events that occurred during Operation Storm and the Croatian War of Independence, the ICTY indictment by Office of the Tribunal Prosecutor is illogical, offensive and totally absurd. Specifically Ante Gotovina has been charged with the following:

"acting individually and/or through [his] participation in the joint criminal enterprise, planned, instigated, ordered, committed, and/or aided and abetted the planning, preparation, and/or execution of"

• Persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds, deportation and other inhumane acts (forced displacement) - three counts of crimes against humanity
• Other inhumane acts - one count of a crime against humanity
• Murder - one count of a violation of the laws or customs of war
• Plunder of public or private property and wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages - two counts of violations of the laws or customs of war.

When taken into context of all wars that took place during the 20th Century, General Gotovina has set the highest standards for the protection of a civilian population in an active war zone during a military offensive. He has in my mind earned The Nobel Peace Prize. Yet now he stands accused at The Hague.

I have a very strong personal, non-monetary, individual interest in this case. General Gotovina liberated my favourite spot on this entire planet. The cemetery in my clans ancestral village Tinj where the remains of my ancestors lay.

I believe from the deepest core of my existence that he stands unjustly accused. Whatever scenario I run through my mind making every effort to eliminate my individual bias, I arrive at the same conclusion. Ante Gotovina is being unjustly persecuted by The United Nations through it's mechanism The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; The Office of the Tribunal Prosecutor for the ICTY; and The Government of The Republic of Croatia.

Over the next several posts I plan to do my best to explore the ICTY indictment in the context of the events that happened before and during Operation Storm; the war that occurred during the disintegration of the former State of Yugoslavia; and all other relevant conflicts during the 20th Century. Hopefully I will be able to express to everybody reading this blog why I feel so strongly that Ante Gotovina, an individual, a husband, a father, a patriot is being wrongly persecuted and being denied his most basic fundamental human right. The right to "freedom and liberty".