BOOK ON CHETNIK WWII CRIMES PRESENTED

ZAGREB, June 9 (Hina) - The Chetnik atrocities in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina during World War II were consistent with the ideologies of a Greater Serbia. The Chetniks did not commit these crimes in revenge but because terror was a consistent part of that movement, said Mirko Valentic the head of the Croatian Historical Institute, presenting a book entitled, "The Cover Up of Chetnik Atrocities in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina 1941 - 1945". The authors of the book are Mihael Sobolevski and Zdravko Dizdar. The book was published by the Croatian Historical Institute and "Home and the World". In the book, Sobolevski deals with Chetnik crimes committed in Croatia during WWII, while Dizdar writes about atrocities committed against Croats and Muslim in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Presenting the book, Valentic said that it sheds new light on post- war historical accounts which mostly focused on crimes committed by the Ustashi yet kept silent about Chetnik crimes. The book presents documents which clearly show that the Chetniks themselves spoke about the need for "cleansing" areas of Croatia and B-H. The book also makes reference to the close cooperation between the Chetniks and Mussolini's Italy. Valentic explains that as Istria was not foreseen in the ideal of a Greater Serbia, it was to be granted to the Italians. Dizdar noted that the repercussion of Chetnik crimes was a huge refugee wave of Croats and Muslims. In addition, the Jewish, Romany, Ukraine and other communities were not spared. An opportunity to punish Chetnik crimes was missed in 1945 when their ideology could have been defeated. However, the ideology was once again revived which we bore witness to in the recent war in Croatia, concluded Dizdar. (hina) sp