New Old Projects on the Division of Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Ivo Komšić/autograf.hr

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The project of dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina saw its epilogue at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, established by the UN Security Council. The project was conceived and its implementation agreed upon by Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tuđman, the presidents of the two neighboring countries.

Slobodan Milošević died in the detention cell of the Hague Tribunal as a defendant for war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Franjo Tuđman died before he could end up in such a cell as the architect of a criminal enterprise against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With their deaths, even the greatest political pessimists believed that the project of dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina had died with them. The Hague Tribunal concluded its proceedings and delivered final verdicts for the main executors of that project, on both sides.

The Court convicted 92 individuals, participants in the joint criminal enterprise, as war criminals who committed crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina while implementing that project. Proceedings against others are ongoing in local courts.

However, despite the verdicts of the highest international court, the criminals and warlords of the nineties have found successors who are not abandoning these projects.

Recently, a new memorandum from the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) was revealed to the public, which differs from the first in that it has a somewhat reduced fallback option. Serbian academics have not abandoned the idea of a Greater Serbia with the western border of Virovitica-Karlovac-Karlobag, but they face a significant challenge in implementing it in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which lies within those borders.

In the nineties, Milošević and Tuđman found a compromise precisely over Bosnia and Herzegovina and agreed to divide it into two parts, approximately in equal proportions. Milošević accepted Tuđman's proposal and sacrificed the "Serbian Krajinas" in Croatia for half of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The end to that agreement was marked by the military operation Storm, with which Tuđman, according to the agreement, integrated the territory of Croatia and simultaneously ensured the survival of Republika Srpska.

Serbian scientists are thinking long-term; they like to create historical projects that are not abandoned for centuries, as this keeps the nation in suspense and hope. They do not recognize the current situation, they do not recognize defeats, neither political nor military; they create myths, and defeats are always part of national mythology.

Since the problem cannot be solved by war, it must be solved long-term through political means. War is not a reliable political tool this time, as Herceg-Bosna also failed, despite military, logistical, political, moral, and all other support from Croatia.

Thus, the old border of Greater Serbia remains untouched, for the distant future, for some new historical moment, and today's politics is harnessed to a transitional solution that is a step towards the final goal. This transitional solution is again linked to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the designers of grand projects in our region consider Bosnia and Herzegovina to be its soft underbelly.

The realization of the new memorandum does not require consent from Croatia; only Bosniaks, as the majority nation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the most politically influential, are needed.

Serbian academics know that after the genocide committed against them, it is not easy to win them over for a common goal. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is being taken, and the project is being expanded to the entire Muslim world in the region, as it is believed that Bosnian Muslim believers can be won over in such an environment.

To alleviate their fear of majorization, they are to be linked regionally with Muslim believers from all over the Balkans and parts of the Islamic world beyond.

The recently launched idea of a "Serbian world" aims to establish a somewhat broader "world" that would encompass the so-called Orthodox-Muslim basin. This would finally separate Bosnian Muslim believers from the West, unite them with the Muslims of the Balkans, but also with the Orthodox "world.".

In today's political rhetoric of the proponents of this idea, the need for better cooperation between Serbs and Bosniaks is constantly mentioned; emphasis is placed on an alliance between the two nations and friendly relations, on mutual interdependence, etc.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not mentioned in that rhetoric. Serbian political leaders and academics do not need Bosnia and Herzegovina as a partner; they need Bosniaks.

Therefore, the new memorandum stipulates that Serbian politicians must not mention Bosnia and Herzegovina at all, that they must block state institutions wherever possible, and that the state should be referred to as an artificial creation, etc. Bosniaks are to be lured into the project by separating them from the "dirty West," which is Islamophobic, and linking them to the Orthodox "world." The ultimate goal is to assimilate and destroy them.

The main obstacle on this path are Bosnian Croats, with whom Bosniaks share the largest part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Croats of Posavina are not a problem because they were "humanely resettled," and that crime was committed by Franjo Tuđman back in 1992. There are practically no Croats left in Posavina because their numbers are insignificant. This problem is not mentioned in Croatia or by the HDZ BiH.

According to Dodik's words, they support him because they fear Muslim majorization (?) and consider him their greatest friend. This friendship is likely earned by the fact that Republika Srpska destroyed their property and did not allow their return; those who returned have no rights. The few who were drawn into his government by Dodik, by agreement with Čović, are merely a decoration.

Bosnian Croats are today, as in the nineties, the main obstacle to the realization of the Greater State projects of our neighbors. Therefore, this new memorandum by Serbian academics is again supported by a project from the Croatian side, just as it was in the nineties. Even then, Milošević could not have carried out his criminal enterprise without Tuđman's.

This time too, Serbian academics are not alone. Allegedly, a supplement to that project from the Croatian side was prepared by some Croatian academics, with the caveat that they are "more cunning" and manage to keep their project out of the public eye.

The project again concerns Bosnian Croats, who are otherwise a "disruptive factor" in Croatian policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. Without them, Croatian policy would have a broader political space for its activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it would be easier to deal with Bosniak politics and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since the problem cannot be solved by war, it must be solved long-term through political means. War is not a reliable political tool this time, as Herceg-Bosna also failed, despite military, logistical, political, moral, and all other support from Croatia.

Therefore, the focus is on a long-term project of peaceful emigration of Bosnian Croats through political pressure. The rhetoric of endangerment, illegitimate representation, and inequality serves this purpose. Nationalist rhetoric that insults Bosniaks, insults their faith, humiliates them, and declares them potentially the most dangerous terrorists for Europe also serves this purpose.

On one hand, all prospects for Bosnian Croats must be closed off; on the other hand, hatred towards them must be fostered among Bosniaks through rhetoric. When this hatred reaches an unbearable level, Bosnian Croats will flee Central Bosnia on their own.

Herceg-Bosna, during its mandate, has already cleansed Herzegovina of the small number of Bosniaks who lived there. Mostar remains divided into two parts, no longer connected by a bridge but separated by a river.

In all local communities where the HDZ holds power in Central Bosnia, everything is divided – kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, healthcare, police forces; in some places, two administrations are still maintained; shops and craft businesses, civic and professional associations, pensioners, public enterprises, natural resources, etc., are divided.

When this is fully implemented, when the last "disruptive factor" of Croatian policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina disappears, then Croatian policy will complete what it failed to achieve during the war with Herceg-Bosna. Then their project will enable Serbian policy to finish the job with Bosnian Muslims and Bosniaks as a nation.

The project of dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina saw its epilogue at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, established by the UN Security Council. The project was conceived and its implementation agreed upon by Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tuđman, the presidents of the two neighboring countries.

They will disappear into the Orthodox-Muslim basin. Bosnian Croats will also disappear. However, history will repeat itself.

Serbian academics have not abandoned Greater Serbia. They are waiting for a historical moment. This moment is secured for them by Croatian academics with their plan and today's ruling Croatian policy; this moment is Central Bosnia emptied of Croats.

Then Serbian planners will have open doors towards Karlobag and Karlovac. Herzegovina will not be an obstacle because with the first shot, everyone will flee to Europe, not to Croatia.

Unlike the nineties, Serbian war policy will not face Bosniak resistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there will be no Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and there will be no Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state.

In the meantime, Russian long-range missiles will be deployed along the Una River, and Russian infantry at key strategic points towards Croatia, i.e., Europe. Furthermore, a Russian military base and airport will already be built in Trebinje.

Croatian public opinion will be prepared for this because Milanović has agreed with Dodik to open his TV channel in Croatia – UNA TV.

For Milanović, this might be some kind of business, perhaps he expects at least one TV channel in Croatia that will support him. For Dodik, it is part of a long-term plan to shape public opinion in Croatia, which will eventually accept the project of Serbian and Croatian academics.

Because their goal is not in the interest of their nations but in the interest of destroying a third nation and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this, Croatian and Serbian policies agree 90% – one must trust Vučić. They will probably agree on the remaining 10%.

After all, Tuđman and Milošević agreed on Operation Storm, so why wouldn't they agree in the future?