THREAD In 1995 after #Oluja I reported from #Bosnia on #Serb refugees fleeing #Croatia.
A guy, 25 driving a tractor loaded w/ women & children shouts: “Hey, jounalist, remember me?” I didn’t. “In July 91 [after Struga massacre] you told my commander ‘your parastate [#Krajina] /2
A guy, 25 driving a tractor loaded w/ women & children shouts: “Hey, jounalist, remember me?” I didn’t. “In July 91 [after Struga massacre] you told my commander ‘your parastate [#Krajina] /2
2/ can’t exist, you should find a way to reconcile with #Croatia, it is your country'. They kept telling us we’ll never lose, that Serbia is behind us, but as time went on I oft thought about your words. I sensed you were right & we were headed for our own destruction”. Then & /3
3/ there I had nothing to tell him. Every refugee said “our own army ordered us to head away from home”. It was a cynical calculation by Serb leadership (I cannot claim whether Croatian Serbs decided on their own or if Milošević & the Karadžić lot from Bosnia influenced it). /4
4/ But refugee columns were set in motion by Martić et al.
In Western Serbia local Serbs were hostile, most selling bottled water & food at shameful prices. One granny of 85 lamented it took her 9 days on tractor to reach Serbia, with no news of her son, a soldier. “He waited /5
In Western Serbia local Serbs were hostile, most selling bottled water & food at shameful prices. One granny of 85 lamented it took her 9 days on tractor to reach Serbia, with no news of her son, a soldier. “He waited /5
5/ for me [inside Serbia], he got there in 3 days: he was in Army column, they had trucks & fuel & retreated first, with priority on roads. I shouldn’t have worried."
Milošević cynically kept Serb refugee columns out of sight & media. He hoarded off thousands to #Kosovo though /6
Milošević cynically kept Serb refugee columns out of sight & media. He hoarded off thousands to #Kosovo though /6
6/ most left as soon as they could; being cannon fodder once is enough.
Croatian Serbs in general, especially those living in rebel held areas, were everybody’s bargaining chips, their own side included. They were aroused, armed, set against their neighbours & homeland & then /7
Croatian Serbs in general, especially those living in rebel held areas, were everybody’s bargaining chips, their own side included. They were aroused, armed, set against their neighbours & homeland & then /7
7/ abandoned. From my 1st hand experience I can only conclude that Serbia has much more responsibility for their sad fate than Croatia. But to this day #Serbia & #Serbs are in denial. Unwilling to confront the truth they keep lying to themselves & the rest of the world. END
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