ZAGREB, Aug 4 (Hina) - Croatia celebrates a national holiday - Homeland Gratitude Day - on August 5 when the entire nation remembers the anniversary of the liberation of the southern town of Knin, which used to be the stronghold of
ethnic Serb rebels.
ZAGREB, Aug 4 (Hina) - Croatia celebrates a national holiday -
Homeland Gratitude Day - on August 5 when the entire nation
remembers the anniversary of the liberation of the southern town of
Knin, which used to be the stronghold of ethnic Serb rebels.#L#
The liberation of Knin on 5 August 1995 was the crown of the
liberating operation 'Storm' when Croatian army and police units
managed to take about 11,000 square kilometres held by the Serb
insurgents who, being supported by the then Yugoslav Army (JNA),
had overrun parts of Croatia's territory in early 1990s.
The rebellion of Croatian Serbs was a part of the greater Serbian
aggression, masterminded in Belgrade. Croatian Serbs took up arms
under the pretext of feeling threatened, following the break-up of
the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and the
establishment of the independent Republic of Croatia.
Their rebellion actually started in the very beginning of 1990s,
when they mounted blockaded of roads between the south and north of
Croatia during the so-called 'Balvan-Revolucija (Log-
Revolution).
In the following four years, the Serb rebels expelled almost all
Croats from the occupied areas. Few Croats and other non-Serbs, who
managed to survive there, testified about the persecution and
terror they were exposed to.
The liberating operation code-named 'Storm' began in the early
morning on 4 August.
At the start of the operation the then Croatian President, Franjo
Tudjman, forwarded a message to residents of the Serb origin in the
towns of Knin, Gracac, Lapac, Korenica, Slunj, Glina, Dvor and
Petrinja, calling on them to remain in their homes.
"We are resolved to put an end to the suffering and suspense of the
Croatian displaced persons from the occupied areas and (we are
resolute) to guarantee to Croatian Serbs their human and minority
rights within the constitutional and legal order of the democratic
Croatia," Tudjman said in his message.
In the evening of August 4 the Croatian public was informed that the
operation was proceeding as planned. In that evening, the town of
Sveti Rok, which is a few kilometres away from Knin, and several
other municipalities and villages were set free.
Exactly at noon on 5 August, Croatian forces, that entered Knin,
raised a huge Croatian flag at the medieval fortress, the landmark
of Knin, Croatian kings' town in the past.
On that Saturday, Croatia's forces also liberated the nearby towns
of Gracac, Benkovac, Kijevo, Vrlika and the village of Primislje
near Slunj. In this way, a few important road connections became
available for free traffic. On that day, the town of Dubica in the
valley of the Una River was also set free and Croatian units reached
the internationally recognised border with Bosnia in that region.
A day later, on 6 August, Plaski, Licki Osik and Vrhovine, Obrovac,
Korenica, Slunj and Plitvice and other towns and villages were
liberated.
On August 7, the then Defence Minister Gojko Susak declared that the
operation 'Storm' was finished in the former UN zones - Sectors
South and North - after it lasted 84 hours.
During the operation 174 members of the Croatian forces gave their
lives, and 1,430 were wounded.
One year later, the Croatian parliament decided to proclaim August
5 as a national holiday.
This year's celebration of Homeland Gratitude Day is overshadowed
by an indictment recently served from the UN war crimes tribunal in
The Hague (ICTY) to Zagreb, under which Croatian General Ante
Gotovina, who was one of chief commanders during the 'Storm', is
accused of crimes against humanity and breaches of the law and
customs of war which he allegedly committed during the liberating
operation in the summer 1995.
The celebration is also clouded by media speculation that some
other high-ranking officers or leading politicians from that
period might be wanted by the ICTY.
(hina) ms