I have been a strong advocate for the return of the Croatian Lipizzaner horses, stolen by the Serbs during the Homeland war. ( In addition to the return of all Croatian national treasures and artwork.) Repeatedly I wrote to the Croatian governments of Tudjman, Racan and now Sanader without any results.
Now comes an even worse shocker: According to the Croatian newspaper Vjesnik of July 12, and a commentary by Mr. Ivan Paj from Zagreb, the Ministry of Agriculture is not only allowing the stolen horses to remain in Serbia, but even more outrageous, it offers the thieves registration papers for the Lipizzaners' offspring - and, as though this is not bad enough - as an extra favor it even offers to intercede on behalf of Serbia to be admitted as a member to the International Federation of Lipizzaner Breeders.
Instead of demanding the return of all stolen Lipizzaners and their young, the Ministry is ready to give the Serbs legitimacy of ownership! Is there a sane person in this world who would agree with such perversion of simple justice and rule of law? Is there a Croatian who has forgotten that many of these animals were brutally slaughtered by the Serbs and the rest herded to Serbia? I hope your reaction will be as angry as mine and will prompt you to write a strong protest letter to the Croatian Government urging them to stop this outrage. Just who in the Croatian government is allowing this miscarriage of justice? Are they trying to impress the EU with their "forgiveness" - let me assure you that the Slovenes would never stoop so low if Croatia had their Lipizzaners. I am disgusted with this bootlicking.
