TUDJMAN OPENS 'BAN JOSIP JELACIC' WAR SCHOOL

ZAGREB, Dec 14 (Hina) - Croatian President and Armed Forces supreme commander Franjo Tudjman on Monday opened the Ban Josip Jelacic War School, the highest military education institution in Croatia, at the Croatian Military Academy in Zagreb. "The opening of the war school is the completion of our efforts to give the Croatian army the most up-to-date education, to give the war personnel who won (the recent) war a military education even in the formal sense, and to make it possible for them to command the Croatian army, not only in peace-time, but also in conditions that might be," said President Tudjman. Tudjman stressed the importance of preserving the unity of the armed forces and the Croatian people, of law-abiding, of not permitting any other opinion other than that in the state's interest. He said Croatia's aim was integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions but, he added, not at any price. Only with strength and unity can we resist various pressures, the President said. The education programme for the highest-ranking military officers was drafted two years ago at the Croatian Military Academy. It was evaluated positively by American military education experts who, with their experience and knowledge, had helped in the War School's organisation. War School commander Lt. Gen. General Franjo Feldi briefed President Tudjman about the school's plan and work programme. Feldi has performed the most responsible duties at the Croatian army headquarters since the army's inception. The school's concept and education programme has been envisaged as post-graduate studies which would train high-ranking officers in strategic thinking. According to Feldi, the programme includes six separate units: geostrategy, geopolitics, operative war skills through history, strategy approach, Homeland War, and informatics. The importance of strategy in contemporary war techniques was also addressed by Croatian army chief-of-staff Vice Admiral Davor Domazet. (hina) ha jn