** Topic: Zagreb Diary **
Response   7  of  67
** Written 12:30 PM  Apr 23, 1992 by ark in gn:yugo.antiwar **
Subject: Zagreb Diary

Zagreb Diary 21/22/23 April

Sorry I can't always be at my post to inform you about the latest news, and the faxlines to Sarajevo crack down somewhere in the night of 21 to 22 April, very rare we recieve via the Islamic Center in Zagreb some messeges, but I have no contact anymore with Semra in her bunker. They are on their own now. But I think that the world is now following the war on television. As fas as I understood from what ever is understandable from HTV (Croatian Television) that the whole world have send their camera teams down there. For the first time I see now the pictures of the war in Mostar, Foca and other places I have been writing about. I will try to keep you informed, but be prepared Sarajevo can fall any moment now, but they have good spirit and keep their hopes on help from the world high.

More afraid I am from the reaction of the official world. Don't they understand that Serbia is fighting an end war, they already know they will loose in the end. If the world drives them in the corner you never know what happen, we are 25 km away from the front and a desperate attack on Zagreb is not something which is unthinkable. Most of the people here think that an economical boycot will drive the tentsions in Beograd sky-high and we are afraid of the results. You can't stop the war that way.

Yesterday I say some pictures from beograd television on Croatian television, a hope giving picture of tens of thousands Serbian swinging at a peace concert, but also a less optimistic picture of street interviews in Beograd, people are ready to fight for their country and not willing to give up the fighting (more than 85.000 volunteers already are fighting in BiH). Drive them in a corner and see what happen, I am in the middle of it and so millions of others. One joke on Beograd television, Croatian extremists are dressed up as UNPROFOR uniforms fighting in BiH.

Back to yesterday, I was in another country, which didn't wanted to have our Croatian Dinars and wasn't in war, I was in Ljubljana, both to talk about the island Vis and to see what could be done with the 100.000 refurgees on their way out of BiH. The RED CROSS have shown that they are absolute not capable to react fast. And it is up to a small group of volunteer who are working their heads of to at least organise something.

Also in Zagreb the refurgees are coming in in big numbers now, the railway station is overcrowded by sleeping people, the hotels full and there are still people coming in. What to do, in Ljubljana they need money for food (about 15.000 dm would be enough to overcome this wave, but how much will come more). I don't know what to do, should I spend all my time on fundraising, knowing that that take ages before something comes here, or should I just try to cry out in the hope that soembody out there will react and does it themselves.

Vis, the nice Island is in Alarm, there is more ammunition on that Island than what is needed to blow up the whole place twice or three times, the Islanders are desperate and don't know what the JNA troops will do, will they leave the island just like that, will the 6th fleet of the USA attack, will JNA blow up the place before they are going, will the Croatian Army come to liberate the island. 
We are now trying, or we will try to get through to VIS inhabitans which are in San Diego, there are living Vis inhabitans already there for 3 generations, just in the hope they can send some hope and undertake something to realize the americans that there are 3000 people on the Island which are dead scared.

Now I have to do more work,

Keep sending us news and good messages.

Love and Peace from Zagreb,

Wam:-)

P.s. I have no time ti translate message in Dutch for Dutch newspapers.


We get more work with the day and we need more equipment but also more international volunteers.

SERBIA BURN CANDLE, NOT CITIES.


** End of text from gn:yugo.antiwar **