ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - Croatia's parliament speaker commented on Thursday's open letter in which 12 generals called on the public and institutions to oppose the negative and false presentation of the Homeland Defence War by saying
the generals need not have "added fuel to the flames on Croatia's already agitated political scene." Assessments of a mutiny within army ranks are too severe, said Zlatko Tomcic, adding he believed the letter was the opinion of a few active army generals.
ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - Croatia's parliament speaker commented on
Thursday's open letter in which 12 generals called on the public and
institutions to oppose the negative and false presentation of the
Homeland Defence War by saying the generals need not have "added
fuel to the flames on Croatia's already agitated political scene."
Assessments of a mutiny within army ranks are too severe, said
Zlatko Tomcic, adding he believed the letter was the opinion of a
few active army generals.#L#
Tomcic at first doubted the letter's authenticity because of the
way it was delivered and because it bore no signature, but later
stressed, "The letter is authentic, as Deputy Defence Minister
Zlatko Gareljic confirmed to me."
Tomcic assessed as positive the generals' opinion that all who
broke the law, whether in war- or peace-time, should be called to
account.
"What is negative is the very fact that the letter came from active
generals of the HV (Croatian army)." Tomcic believes the letter
gravely runs counter to their rules of conduct.
The parliament speaker was also displeased with the generals' act
because, as he said, they probably knew that parliament's ongoing
session might debate a topic called either the "Current Political
Situation in Croatia" or the "Issue of the Dignity of the Homeland
Defence War."
"My personal goal after this debate, and I will suggest this to the
benches too, will be passing a joint document which adequately
protects the dignity of the (war), very clearly states what the
(war) was, what caused it, and what was the Croatian people's
conduct," said Tomcic.
He asserted that in his opinion, Croatia's war of independence from
the former Yugoslav federation was a defence war in which Croatia
was the victim. We have to talk about the mistakes of the aggressor
and punishment for the aggressor, and not for those who were the
victims of that war, Tomcic stressed.
Asked how he would react to the fact that in democratic countries,
generals do not make political assessments, he said it was up to the
defence ministry, which had established rules of conduct for its
officials, to react. Tomcic did remind of a document prohibiting
active Croatian officers from making political statements in the
public.
"Depending on the (defence) ministry's evaluation, there might be
some disciplinary action, but it is a matter concerning" the
defence ministry and the army's headquarters, he said.
Asked if he would contact the President of the Republic after
learning the letter was authentic, the parliament speaker said it
was unnecessary "because the President has the same information as
I, from the same source."
(hina) ha jn