** Topic: Zagreb Diary **
Response  44  of  67
** Written 12:28 PM  Jun  5, 1992 by wamkat in gn:yugo.antiwar **
Subject: Zagreb Diary

Zagreb Diary
04-06-1992

Dear Friends,

Yesterdays issues didn't was the best edited, after I was reading it the next morning I recognised the many spelling and grammar mistakes I made, but that's me, I am Dutch, this is still not my mother tongue. It was a very emotional reaction on the news that Croatia wants to build a new nuke and sorry I have something against nukes.

Today another interesting announcement was made by the Croatian government, the word is out, Croatia calls up on the world to start the preparations for a military intervention in BiH. Croatia itself has start their intervention in BiH already from the beginning, but like to get some help from some friends. It is obvious that Croatia feels itself getting stronger by the day, in military sense. The newsrapports are heroic stories how Croatian army is active in BiH and has victory after victory.

Some days ago Christine told me that the western press is writing about a huge offensive, which Croatia seems to prepare in the so-called occupied territories. At first I had to say that I knew nothing about it, there is no mentioning about it in the Croatia media, neither do I see huge mobilisation activities or army movements in and around Zagreb. But after some calling around in the country it seems that on curtain places, directly after the front line big gatherings take places from the heavy equipment, which the HV (Croatian Army) has collected over the last 9 months. If this is just the withdrawal of the troops out of the UNPROFOR areas or a preparation for their final attack on the occupied territories is still unclear. It even can be a beginning of a Croatian attack in BiH to "liberated" Sarajevo, according the reports they are only a few kilometres away from the places. Anyway something will happen soon that is sure.

In the main time Tudjman's popularity is falling, I will get the figures translated today, but according to a big poll done by Slobodna Dalmacija (the only real undepended, private owned, newspaper) over 57% of the Croats think that he should finish his political career (the poor guy, he just started). In the same poll interesting answers about the media and the freedom of news spreading by the opposition.

Croatian government also decided to give themselves some more democratic outlook, this law on verbal delicto, which cause some court cases in the last months, was discussed yesterday in parliament and it looks if they are going to withdraw the law, as well as most of the courtcases. Maybe the international pressure has help there.

Today was a chaotic day, first of all since Sarajevo was under very heavy attack the last days, all this talks about peace treaties and so on, liberation of the airport, seems to be not really happening. Absolute sure about what is happening there is at this moment impossible, the only source is Croatian (HTV) and BiH (via HTV) television and the press. For the so-much time in a row the telephone line to Sarajevo are cut, the bombing of last night seems to have destroyed the last part of the telephone building.

In this case that was super stupid for us, since at last the ball is rolling, thanks to some friends in the States (fantastic how the nets are working) we have collected a list of contacts of medical industries and others, who like to help the people in Sarajevo, especially that urgent call for Kidney patients was reacted on. But it was impossible to ask Sarajevo hospital or Ibrahim what they precisely need. So we go for what we know and that is that they needs about everything you can imagine.

In the morning it looked like I found myself a helicopter, but during the day it became more and more clear that those pilots only want to go if the airport in Sarajevo was secured. They didn't dare to fly alone all the way. It wouldn't be the first one, which is shot out of the air like a duck. And it really doesn't matter what symbol you spread on those things, red stars, read crosses, black letters (UN), blue symbols, nothing seems to work.

Via the Dalmatian Solidarity Council (DOS) in Split it seems however that medicine and other materials in small shipments can go over the mountains, they have a lot of contacts with people in BiH and know the ways. How that's is not good to tell at this moment, but this grassroots links of friends seems to work were other big organisations seems to fail. Other options was getting the Croatian or Slovenian Army in the air and get it through via them. After some discussion at ARK we however decided to use the DOSlink first, before we go to the heavy guys. They have recieved all what we know and it is hoping now that it works. But I am positive, even when people have some thoughts about the reliability of the e-mail nets (some said you never can be sure, every fool can put on it whatever they want). If the deliveries from medicines to Split and Sarajevo work out we can be very proud, as far as I can recall it is one of the most practical actions which ever been coordinated over the nets (at least over the none-military nets). I hope that our sponsors agree that we go for grassroots solutions, since official those things should go via the governmental chancels (Croatian government has installed a huge institute for collecting and distribution), our friends from DOS however have their thoughts about their functioning. I don't know how to thanks you out there for helping us, it is fantastic (honestly I never ever thought it would start to roll in this way).

Yes, I like to tell you that Vesna and Milena have returned from Vis and, it is unbelievable if you have followed the news, they came by bus from Split. Yes the line are working again to and from that area, the busses take the coastal road and that seems to be safe. I am happy that they are back, not only was I missing them a lot, but also since ARK is a little scattered over the World at the moment, Vesna T. is in Rio, Aida and Neela in Koper on an international Women camp, some are on their way to Freiburg for the UNSAID festival, Nina is in Paris to talk about refugees children and women, Vladimir is still in Beograd (I am really worried now), Zoran (still not arrested, even after so many weeks of not going for his mobilisation) is working on the concert for Saturday and the book presentation of Green Action (today, the book about destruction of the environment by the war in Croatia). And the rest is lucky here again or still. Most ofcourse have their normal jobs, besides ARK, but those who are free (due to unemployment) are busy in the Centre, still on the floor, since we still have no money for tables, but things are rolling.

The first foreign tourists have also arrived on Vis yesterday, two Germans came in with their boat and ofcourse that is second pages national news nowerdays. Vis is 100% Croatia now and ready to receive the tourists. Imagine you are nicely Island hoping, find your selves a nice little island in the Adriatic and next day your photo stand in the newspapers in Zagreb.

The list of killed soldiers had his last day today, tomorrow those pages in the newspapers will be filled by the "normal" news again, about the killings in BiH, about the fights in Dubrovnik, until the moment that there are another 3485 soldiers killed and a new list of state heroes can be printed. Maybe the next one will be in alfabetic order. Hope that their lovers, parents and other friends are happy with the nice medal they have got, the Zrinski and Frankopan (two of the "big" Croats of the past). 

From Osijek, still quiet in the town (no bigger alarms given in 2 weeks now, in the surrounding still some shooting is heard), the messages came that they are also ready to recieved the volunteers for the workcamps, and Vesna J. and I will go there next week to organise the official stuff. Now they only thing we need is the volunteers from abroad. There are app. 350.000 children under 17 years old now in the camps and centres. Please if you have some spare time in July and August or earlier or later, come and play with them, they need it, and when you have some toys (not used) laying around starts a local action via health food shop or so and collect more and get it shipped to here, toys are better then arms to play with (please do not send any toys which look arms or so, that you can buy here everywhere).

I told you some weeks before that you here often explosions or shots in Zagreb, not so much as elsewhere, but still a lot more as in my original hometown (Sittard, NL, for the time being I consider Zagreb as hometown). Looking for the origin of those explosions, it are not always drunken soldiers, you really have to spell the newspapers to find out more about it. But sometimes you find those small articles in which it is described: "Grenade exploded in Pub, one person slidely hurt, lot's of damage, this is the 3th in a row of bombing in this and this area, and probably a personal vendetta." Yes, that is happening when you give the boys their toys to play with.

But that is not the only personal war within the wars which takes place a lot of person have so their own grounds to fight the other side, more often they are totally different (they didn't like their Serbian neighbours, the BBB hooligans beat them up in Zagreb, they had relation problems with a Muslim, this Serbian car-seller was making his own prices, etc.) from the official fights, but never the less all that makes war.   

Following the Nuke things, I just found out that the G-7 are going to decide next month in Munich to spend 100 billion Dmarks for nuclear aid to East Europe, it is really, really going to be a new area, start rounding up all those anti-nuke activists, since we and all the countries in the east are going to get what we have nearly stopped.

With Love and Peace from Zagreb,

Wam:-)

P.s. for those who send me or ark private messages the last days and haven't recieved yet any answer, sorry, but the mailbox (43 message over the last 24 hours) is so full (that is great, keep sending our spirit is getting better from it and more and more people start to believe in the nets) and we went for the medical stuff messages the last day. 

Those who send us stuff for Sarajevo (message) our excuses, but we can't be of any help at this moment, the lines are cut.

IMPORTANT, can somebody find out if the telephoneline to Serbia and Montenegro (now the computer connection over EARN are cut on official request of the Austrian government, thanks to the UN resolutions, see the listing on the nets from Linz) are still function (here are two new numbers of the Peace Movement of Vojvodina (Pokret Za Mir Vojvodine), tel. +38-21-619019 and fax: +38-21-22341, other faxnumbers can be found in a earlier, wait I copy them:

Evropski pokret U jugoslaviji +38-11-181471
Radio B92                     +38-11-330946
Zenske stranka (Zest)         +38-11-681989
HCA yugoslavia fax information Service +38-11-622957
CISIM                         +38-11-634594
AntiWar Campaign              +38-11-681989

If anybody needs support, besides Sarajevo it is these people, who are slowly getting more and more isolated from the world. Please try !!! And report back if it worked. 

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