RACAN: SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE ILLUSIONS THAT MANIPULATION IS POSSIBLE

ZAGREB, Sept 15 (Hina) - Individuals who are claiming that by apprehending army members, who are suspected of war crimes and other criminal acts, the authorities are criminalising the Homeland War, either do not understand what this is all about or are trying to manipulate war veterans, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Friday. The manipulation of war veterans and the Homeland War, which is aimed at making people believe that all veterans are suspects or that the attitude toward them is negative, is simply insane, Racan said. A vast majority of Croatian citizens are aware of this and those individuals and groups are harbouring illusions if they believe that it is possible to manipulate the interests of this people and cover up, to the detriment of the Homeland War, things which a democratic and law-based state must not cover up, the Prime Minister said. "We are not afraid of threats and we are not upset. Our message to them is that they are not in conflict with the Croatian government, but with democratic prospects of this country and its national interests. Some of them will understand that, some won't. Those who fail to understand it and who could pose a threat to democratic Croatia, will come into conflict with the state," Racan said at the end of his visit to the Ministry of European Integration. We are confident that the Croatian people and state have enough democratic potential to defend the chance of prosperity and that is why we are demonstrating a higher level of tolerance than would perhaps be logical, Racan said. (hina) jn rml