GLINA CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS LIBERATION

GLINA, Aug 6 (Hina) - Croatian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Petar Stipetic said in Glina Sunday he was proud to have taken part in battles for the liberation of this central Croatian town and to have commanded Croatian army troops who had achieved brilliant victories in the liberation operation "Storm". Glina on Sunday celebrated the fifth anniversary of its liberation from Serb occupation. Stipetic, who at the time had command over Sector North at the time and to whom the 21 Kordun corps of the Serb paramilitary surrendered, said the residents of Glina entered the devastated and abandoned town five years ago with glory and pride. "Storm had to happen. It was waited for wishfully and yielded brilliant results. Not only had we in Storm liberated the occupied region of Croatia, but we also helped our neighbours in Bosnia so they would not live through what happened to Srebrenica, which threatened to happen to Bihac and other protected enclaves which had been under the jurisdiction of the international community," Stipetic said. He recalled that in the area, the 21st Kordun corps of the Serb paramilitary had on August 8, 1995 surrendered near Glina. "During the apprehension of the 21 Kordun corps there had been no incidents of which we are now being accused. In line with international war law and the Geneva Convention, we accepted the apprehended soldiers and their civilians, and under the patronage of international organisations, fulfilled their wishes -- that they be transferred to Serbia. We protected them during the trip, fed them, supplied them with fuel and everything that was necessary for them to leave. Today they return to Croatia and I believe they remember how we treated them at the time," General Stipetic asserted. He said Croats from Glina had for four years watched their occupied homes and homeland from the slopes of Vukomericke Gorice, while Serbs 'reigned' over the occupied areas. "Now that they are returning, they should be patient," Stipetic said. He stressed he advocated for all Croatian citizens to be given back their property, but pointed out the fact that the homes of numerous Croat returnees had not yet been reconstructed and could not return. President of the Glina City Council Ivo Zinic and Mayor Marko Sremic stressed the necessity of greater support and help from the state to the normalisation of the situation and life in this area which suffered heavy destruction during the Homeland War. Croatian President's advisor for internal affairs, Igor Dekanic, Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Zeljko Nenadic and Member of Parliament Zeljko Krapljan expressed best wishes on the fifth anniversary of Glina's liberation to the residents. Numerous delegations laid wreaths at a cross erected on the rubble of Glina's central church which was destroyed during the Serb aggression. (hina) lml