storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

Th erefore, the Croatian forces were not immune either to problems which are practically
part of everyday wartime events during off ensive and especially “fi nal” operations. While
such crimes deserve every condemnation, in past military history serious incidents
and crimes committed by the victors have not so far been prosecuted. In the Banovina
region some of these crimes were committed by the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina. 519 Th e
undisciplined conduct of ARBiH troops was also confi rmed on 8 August by UNCRO. 520
Similarly, during Storm some Serbs were killed by their fellow-countrymen during
withdrawal from Croatia, and some of the Serbian houses were set to fi re before the
arrival of Croatian forces to the area. 521
During the operation the Military Police established in cooperation with the civil
police 80 check-points along the lines of advance of the Croatian armed forces. As the
HV advanced, new points were set up in the liberated area. Th us, as reported, Military
Police units “organized the patrol service in order to take control over the liberated
settlements and towns, controlled military and road traffi c, prevented arson, uncontrolled
misappropriation and collection of war booty, and secured vital facilities in the liberated
area. Aft er deployment the MUP RH regular police assumed responsibility for securing
such facilities and for the patrolling service. Th e check-points established immediately
aft er the liberation of larger settlements were in operation for 3-4 days in order to prevent
civilian entry and uncontrolled misappropriation of war booty. Immediately aft er the
passage of HV troops all the villages, towns and the areas along the main communications
were mopped up and swept by anti-terrorist and military police units in order to create
conditions for normal living in the liberated villages and towns, and secured traffi c safety
in the liberated areas”. 522
By 10 September 1995 the Military Police apprehended and investigated 1,576 persons.
“Aft er duly recorded investigation and in cooperation with SIS and MUP RH, 659 persons
were turned over to the judiciary authorities and charges fi led on suspicion of indictable
off ences against the Republic of Croatia”. 523 In the area reinstated into the constitutional
519 SVA MORH: SIS Directorate, Karlovac Dept.-Sisak Section, reg. no. 512M5-01¸/05-06-99-239; Offi cial
note (undated).
520 MORH, GSHV: UN and EC Offi ce, cl. str. conf. 018-04/95-151/02, reg. no. 512-01-04/95-73 of 8 August
1995 (UNCRO, Zagreb Hq., no. 1000-2(MA) of 8 August 1995, 1447 hours; Activities in Ostojići.
521 Th is is borne out by statements of Serbian refugees from Croatia in the Serbian press aft er Storm: Naša
borba, 12-13 1995; Vreme, 14 Aug. 1995; “Oluja pobjede” (Th e Storm of Victory) - photomonograph, HM-
DCDR, Zagreb, August 2007, 178. Furthermore, according to other statements by Serbian refugees, buildings
and other property were torched “not to leave them to the Croats”. Th us, before leaving Donji Lapac
the Serbs set fi re to the Kamensko Hotel, he police station and “at least 3-4 other buildings”. “Vojna operacija
‘Oluja’ i poslije” (Military Operation ‘Storm’ and Its Aft ermath), Croatian Helsinki Committee, Zagreb,
2001, 25 (note 23), 25. Cf. “Žene Krajine - rat, egzodus i izbeglištvo” (Th e Women of the Krajina - War,
Exodus and Exile), Vesna Nikolić-Ristanović, Slobodanka Konstantinović-Vilić, Nataša Mrvić-Petrović,
Ivana Stevanović, Branislava Knežić; Institute for Criminological and Sociological Studies, Belgrade, 1996,
127-128.
522 MORH, GSHV: Military Police Directorate, cl. str. conf. 80-01/95-158, reg. 512-19-01-95-632of 16 September
1995; Analysis.
523 Ibid.
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