storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

army was taking over Dinara. I was born in the area, and I know how harsh winters can be
there. Practically, the entire Dinara range was slowly taken away from the Serbs by two units
which were not from that area, with the help of reserve units. One of them, the 7 th Guards
Brigade, originated from north-western Croatia, where the climate and the confi guration of the
ground are totally diff erent; the second, the 4 th Guards Brigade, came from the southern part
from Croatia... its headquarters was in Split... therefore, a warm-bloodied brigade faced with
brutal winter. Th ey froze up there, but accomplished their mission. And that had an eff ect on
morale... Th us, practically speaking, the Split Corps District appears to have had the easier part
of the mission - Winter ’94, which was very tough, then two brief operations, Leap l and Leap
2, followed by the great Summer ’95 - the taking of Bosansko Grahovo and Glamoč.
... Th e degree of discrepancy between idea and execution will certainly be determined over a
longer term. One of the issues is the reason why attacks ground to a halt. Th e best known case
refers to the assault on Petrinja, and there are still some loose ends in that respect, related more
to the professional, military aspect rather than to reasons aired in the public, although that is
not particularly important because the operation was successful. And when the operation is
successful, all the other shortcomings become secondary. Th e saddest part of the story involves
the loss of several well-known and popular offi cers of the 2 nd Guards Brigade (also known as
Gromovi, Th unders), e.g., Predrag Matanović, battalion commander, one of the symbols of
the Brigade. All the soldiers who fought with them and knew them mourned their loss. Th e
question which is eventually raised is a matter of pure tactics: why a frontal assault and not
encirclement? Th e question will be debated for quite some time. General Basarac, in charge of
the Zagreb Corps District, died recently, and we shall never hear certain things from that side.
He had his own vision, others had their own...
... Reporters have now focused on Gotovina’s alleged two-day celebration in Knin. Whatever
may have happened, it is a fact that the Split Corps District ceased all off ensive operations
during those two days. Accordingly, it appears that the mission in the area under consideration
could have been accomplished earlier. Yet, whoever has ever visited the area and observed its
geographical features knows what would have happened if the two Guards brigades had pushed
on to Pađene and to Srb. Whatever anyone may think, the casualty toll would have been very
high. When the case is considered dispassionately and comprehensively, there are no major
objections. Th e brigades may have captured some more weapons, but a dozen old tanks possibly
won by the HV were not worth the cost in human lives. And there is no doubt that the casualty
list would have been high, because that was a bottleneck in which the two brigades would have
been trapped.
... Th e major issue about Storm relates to what happened later. Th is is a vast area, and a
more detailed analysis will certainly be required. MUP documents will facilitate the task, but, I
must admit, I had no access to them... Some 550 or 600 people are being mentioned, but, when
you remember what other armies did when they seized an area and how they behaved.... Th en,
all kinds of people came in, others returned to their destroyed homes, some thirsting for revenge.
But, and that is the essential point, there are no indications that this was the plan of the state.
Unlike the planned Greater Serbian project which caused the war. Th at is essential. Th ere was
no state plan, at the highest level of government in Croatia, to burn, destroy and kill, as is being
continuously imputed, now also in Th e Hague, there was no criminal enterprise. Th ere are no
indications for such claims...
From Marijan Davor’ interview for Radio Zagreb
(2 nd Programme, 4 October 2007),
aft er the publication of his book Storm.
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