Kakva se mogucnost predvidja za buducnost ?

Sinovima  emigranata, narocito onima koji su rodjeni i koji su uvijek zivjeli u inozemstvu, sigurno  nije ni lako ni jednostavno govoriti i analizirati dogadjanja u roditeljskoj domovini. Postoji uvijek mogucnost utjecaja sentimentalnosti, sto sprijecava objektivno  procjenjivanje onoga sto se u doticnoj zemlji dogadja.

Nadajmo se da ne upadnemo u misolovku ovoga tipa.

Koncem 90-tih godina, osjecala se u Hrvatskoj potreba radikalnih promjena. Poslije pobjedonosnog rata za oslobodjenje, nisu slijedile, kako je bilo najavljivano od ondasnje vodece stranke, vedrije godine i, naracito, osjecala se nemogucnost pronalaska politickih rijesenja za nebrojene probleme kao sto su: privatizacija, banke, sudstvo, zemljoradnja, veleobrt i sto je najglavnije nezaposlenost.

I medju nama, u emigraciji osjecala se ova nova politicka promjena, koju smo ocekivali s nestrpljenjem. Posebno je bilo jasno da nacin nekadasnjeg vodjenja politike, kakav se formirao u Titovom periodu, uporno se nastavlja, jer su bivsi glasnogovornici usli u stranku vecine, t.j. na mjesto moguceg laganog i brzog obogacivanja na ledima vecine naroda, tako se nazocilo zauzimanju veleobrta ili hotela ili drugih objekata, samo zahvaljujuci bankovnim zajmovima dodjeljivanim bez ikakvih uobicajenih garancija. Tako se sprdnja sastojala u tomu da su novcem onih radnika koji su bivali odpustani, novi vlasnici zauzimali skupocijena dobra ne dajuci niti novcica iz vlastita dzepa i partecipirali na nastvaljanju osiromasenja drzavne kase.

Ovakova politicka rjesenja, bivse vlade, mogli su imali nekakvo dobrohotno opravdanje, da ne ostave sva narodna dobra na tanjuru nezasitnom inozemnom kapitalu (kao u ono vrijeme sto se mogla opravdavati kao neke vrsti “socialne politike”, dodjeljivanje brojnih invalidskih mirovina borcima ili povecanom broju redarstvenika) ali svakako, na dugo vrijeme, to nije mogao biti valjan podstrek gospodarskom razvitku zemlje.

Koliko se moze podrzati da HDZ  to sve nije razumjela ili koliko se to moze pripisati oltrancistickom politikom prema Hrvatskoj sa strane Europske Unije, drzim, da se ova dva faktora skoro izjednacuju

Problem je za buducu politicku klasu, pronaci rijesenje gospodarske krize u Hrvatskoj, koja je sinonim politicke i moralne krize, sto na dugo vrijeme moze prejudicirati i sam obstanak nacije.

Ako analiziramo rad nove momcadi poslije izbora u sijecnju 2000-te, moramo na zalost pripisati iste odgovornosti upravljajucoj klasi u cemo treba dodati i pomanjkanje konkretne i toliko obecavane pomoci sa strane Eropske Unije 

Kakva se mogucnost predvidja za buducnost ?

Prije nego sto dodjemo do odgovora potrebno je vidjeti postoji li, danas, u Hrvatskoj, politicka skupina sposobna preuzeti odgovornost za najglavnije potrebe zemlje ?  U svijetlu cinjenica, koje vidimo, trebalo bi odgovoriti negativo. Izgleda da ne postoji ni jedna politica skupina, koja ima vlastite poglede kako bi trebalo voditi hrvatsko gospodarstvo.

Hocemo li moci prezivjeti sada kada je 97% hrvatskih banaka u tudjinskim rukama, kada hrvatski Sabor mora obznaniti zakon, kojim se obvezuju upravni odbori doticnih banaka da imaju barem jednog clana koji zna govoriti hrvatski. Zar to nije istinska slika kolonizacije zemlje ?

Je li prodaja dio Ina-e slijedila logiku trzista u potrazi za vecom zaradom, ili je to ucinjeno samo da se reaktiviraju stara prijateljstva korisna za financiranje predstojece izborne kampanje ?

Ali isto tako moramo razmisljati: ako je sve lose u Hrvatskoj, barem tako smo uvijek u svijetu prikazivani, zasto stranci kupuju nase banke ??  Mozda nije sve tako crno kako nas drugi uvjeravaju ili je mozda potencijal naseg gospodarstva  puno jaci od onoga sto se danas moze vidjeti.  Mozda je nasa ekonomija namjerno zamrznuta od strane medjunarodne zajednice tako da se ne razvija previse brzo, jer tako bi se defintivno distancirala od ekonomije Srbije, pa bi taj drugaciji faktor definitivno sprjecio zajednicki ulazak u E.U. ?!

U glavnom, nije nam jasno, vrsi li se prodaja nasih banaka iz vlastitog uvjerenja po Bog te pitaj kakvoj  politicko – gospodarskoj strategiji ili je to bila cijena koju je morala platiti nova hrvatska vlast za podporu ne samo na rijecima i tapsanju po ramenima, nego i novcano od strane neke europske drzave ??

Je li zbilja moguce vjerovati, da danas u nasoj zemlji, poslije 12 godina samostalnosti, ima jos uvijek iskreno orijetiranih protu – Hrvata,  ili nekih njihovih nesretnih (ili bolje nespretnih) stanovista (n.pr. borba protiv naziva “drzavni”za Sabor, ili akcija protiv “laznih” invalida, osudjuvanje privatizacije i produzujuci na isti nacin kriminalizaciju domovinskog obrambenog rata i t.d.) treba pripisati samo gluposti politickih vodja ili casovitom politickom oportunizmu ??

Ova politicka situacija u zemlji sigurno nije jedna od boljih, a svima nam je poznato da se  priblizuju novi politicki izbori.

Za koga bi onda hrvatski gradjani trebali glasovati ?

Izvjesna interesantna pomicanja vec se zapazaju: najprije izlazak Ivica Pasalica iz HDZ-e i ulaz na politicku scenu predsjednika Maticu Hrvatske, g. Zidica, izgleda s Budisinim liberalima; da je on usao u redove HDZ-e ne bi se radilo o velikoj promjeni po broju glasova, jer HDZ jos uvijek predstavlja prvu stranku s relativnom vecinom u Hrvatskoj. Ulazeci na liste liberala, ako se to realizira,  sa svom vjerojatnosti i slici sigurnog pozitiviste i prestiza koji uziva u cijeloj zemlji, bi znacilo omoguciti vec skoro preminuloj socijalno liberalnoj Budisinoj stranci, da dostigne potreban quorum za ulazak u Sabor i jos vise, da formira koalicijsku vladu s HDZ-om, ne prisiljujuci Sanadera previse u desno.  Sve ovo u nadi da Budisa iza kako je iskusio Titove zatvore i sudjelovanje u vladi skupa s Racanom i Mesicem,  da je razumio lekciju. Istina je, nazalost da je politika umjetnost (vjestina), pa kao sto se ne radjaju svi slikarima ili glazbenicima, moze se biti izvrstan pisac, govornik i rodoljub, ali los politicar (kao pok. Vlado Gotovac).

Mozda je jos veci problem, osim kasnjenja hrvatske politiche klase, da ispravno shvati unutrasnju situaciju, mozda stoji jos vise u nasim vanjskim neprijateljima, koji imaju svoj cilj kojega slijede iskoriscujuci unutarnju politicku borbu u Hrvatskoj.

Europska Unjia, koju neki vide kao soluciju svih hrvatska problema, nazalost, ona to nije. Nije dostajalo to shvatiti za vrijeme proslog sukoba, kada su mnogi njezini ugledni clanovi otvoreno podupirali srbsku agresiju i pravili poslove s Milosevicem ?? (cfr. Telekom Srbija)

EU ne rjesava ovakovu vrst unutrasnjih problema, dapace cini se sklonom teritorijalnom zamrzavanju nekih geopolitickih problema u korist jacih, koji ju vode. Evo zasto su skoro svi su bili slozni odrzavanju jugoslavenske Federacije, jedne umjetne politicke tvorevine, koja u 70 mirnodobskih godina postojanja nije rijesila nijedan povjesni, teritorijalni, narodnosni, kulturni, vjerski, pa cak ni jezicni problem u regiji, ostavljajuci otvorena vrata rasplamsavanju ostrih medjusobnih sukoba i intervenciji medjunarodnih faktora, kojima se tako davala mogucnost za bilo kakvu soluciju u njihovu vlastitu korist.

Jedna je cinjenica sigurna, da je povijest uciteljica zivota za one koji to hoce shvatiti, sto znaci da se u Europu ne ulazi zrtvujuci vlastite Heroje. Svi oni politicari koji su otvoreno suglasni smatrati generala Gotovinu kriminalcem, ili po vlastitoj gluposti ili po politickom racunu, najopasniji su neprijatelji hrvatskog naroda.

Luka Krilic
croata@romacivica.net

Predsjednik: Hrvatsko – talijanske Udruge
Glavni Tajnik: Saveza hrvatskih Zajednica u Italiji
Clan Upravnog Odbora: Bosansko - hercegovacke Zajednice u Italiji
Clan Nadzornog Odbora:   Hrvatskog Svjetskog Kongresa

Review of "The Muslim-Croat Civil War in Central
Bosnia: A Military History, 1992-1994,"

Association for Croatian Studies Bulletin, Fall 2003, Issue 41

Can the Shrader Book Help Blaskic and Others

Review of "The Muslim-Croat Civil War in Central
Bosnia: A Military History, 1992-1994," Charles R.
Shrader, Texas A&M University Press, College Station,
2003.

By V.M. Raguz

At a time when sexed-up reports and Paris advocacy for
the Islamic world are commonplace concepts, Charles R.
Shrader's book about the Muslim-Croat conflict in
Bosnia may be extremely well timed. Even though the
book was written much before the recent Iraq crisis,
his conclusions suggest that both notions, however
recent, are applicable in explaining this highly
controversial war-within-a-war that took place a
decade ago in Europe's own back yard.

Formerly a US Army logistics officer, Shrader is now a
noted military historian and instructor at the US
military academies. In this book he works mainly from
the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) trial
transcripts in Blaskic, Kordic, and other central
Bosnia cases, and concludes quite explicitly that
anyone who knows anything about military issues (and
evidence) could never surmise that Croats initiated
the conflict in central Bosnia. Moreover, there was no
grand scheme to ethnically cleanse the Muslims from
the area, as the ICTY incorrectly found. Quite the
contrary, says Shrader.

He makes a case that Sarajevo made an early strategic
decision, in Fall 1992, to fight the Croats because
they were weaker than the Serbs; because it wanted to
resettle the Muslim refugees from eastern Bosnia and
Posavina into the Lasva Valley; and, because it wanted
to seize the military production facilities under
Croat control in Busovaca, Vitez and Novi Travnik.

Gen. Sefer Halilovic, the first Army of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (ABiH) chief operations officer wrote
along the same lines in his book the "Cunning
Strategy". ("Lukava Strategija," S. Halilovic,
Marsal, Sarajevo, 1997.) The key element of that
strategy was to seize military plants in Gorazde,
Konjic, Bugojno, and Novi Travnik. The last three
were under the control of the Croatian Defense Council
(HVO).

To add, what is striking in the Halilovic book is the
underlining theme that the Croats were, from the
outset, as dangerous to the future of the BiH state as
were the Serbs, and thus, equally a target. Tellingly,
as Belgrade-trained officer, he often referred to the
Croats with derogatory term Ustashe. Halilovic also
wrote about close relations between Izetbegovic
associates and Milosevic envoys throughout 1992-93,
including discussions about territorial swaps and the
division of BiH between the two.

Similarly, a senior Muslim official told this reviewer
in Spring 1993 that the Muslims would not seek
negotiations with the Croats because the thinking in
Sarajevo was that they can be defeated. The going
logic was, he said, that the Croats were much weaker
than the Serbs; that Croatia would not help them much
because it had its own problems; that BiH Croats are
settled in the most economically viable parts of the
country, in the Lasva and Neretva valleys; that they
control the access to the sea; and, that eventually,
there will be a big war between Serbia and Croatia,
where the HVO would be forced to retreat south, and to
the flanks, to help the Croatian Army (HV) around
Dubrovnik in the east and Knin in the west, thus
making it even easier for the Muslims to push
southward.

Back in December 1992, at the Extraordinary Session of
the Organization of Islamic Conference in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia, this reviewer participated in a meeting
between the Croatian Foreign Minister Zdenko Skrabalo
and Alija Izetbegovic, where Skrabalo appealed to
Izetbegovic to accept Franjo Tudjman's offer to form
joint military headquarters, either in Zagreb or
Bugojno, and take on the Serb extremists together.
Skrabalo brought with him the Zagreb Mufti Sefko
Omerbasic, who argued that the Tudjman offer was
genuine, and consistent with Zagreb's assistance in
arming of the ABiH. But Izetbegovic refused, saying
that such an alliance would further antagonize the
Serbs. However, it is more likely that Izetbegovic
said no because the Halilovic strategy was already
well in place.

Shrader says that in January 1993, the ABiH carried
out what he calls in military jargon a probing attack,
to gauge the HVO defenses, and in April 1993, the
first major attack. The Croats were largely surprised
by the probing attack, but not by the main attack.
After January 1993 they began gathering intelligence
on the ABiH, and rightly anticipated that the main
attack would come on April 15th. Central Bosnia HVO
commander Tihomir Blaskic prepared and practiced, what
Shrader calls "active defense," a common NATO
pre-emptive tactic. This first ABiH operation to
fragment the Lasva Valley into isolated pockets
failed, but was repeated two more times in the Fall.
He adds that the Lasva Valley would have been
overtaken if it were not for the early 1994 Washington
Accords, as the Croats were substantially
under-manned, under-gunned, and completely encircled.

The situation of the Croat community in central Bosnia
is likened to the misfortune of the French Union camp
at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Like the French troops that
were in great tactical and numerical disadvantage
sitting in the Nam Yum valley against Vietminh
soldiers on the surrounding hills, the Croat community
was squeezed into an even smaller area in the lowlands
of Lasva valley against the Muslim forces on the
mountainside. Unlike the Union troops, the Croats
managed to survive until the Washington Accords due to
Blaskic's active defense strategy.

Shrader writes that there is not slightest of evidence
that HV troops or advisers operated in central
Bosnia. He does add in a footnote that there is
evidence of HV troops in the Gornji Vakuf area, to the
south, in Dec 1993-Jan 1994, but that they were not
active in the fighting in central Bosnia. In February
1994, the Security Council used the reports about
these troop movements as evidence of Croatia's
interference in BiH.

The massing of HV troops in Gornji Vakuf in December
1993 is consistent with other reports that the troops
were moved in because Zagreb feared that Lasva Valley
would fall, and wanted to manage the resultant refugee
flows that would have destabilized Dalmatia, as well
as to prevent further ABiH advances south that could
have isolated Dubrovnik once again.

Shrader relies extensively on UNPROFOR and the
European Community Monitoring Mission (ECMM) reports
on the events in Lasva Valley, and concludes that
UNPROFOR was largely balanced in its reporting. It
became better after being initially surprised by the
developments in central Bosnia. But he goes on and
says that ECMM monitors were consistently
misinterpreting events to the detriment of Croats and
downplaying atrocities against the Croats (which
appear to have been more numerous and widespread).

In the "Sources" section at the end of the book he
goes on and points a finger at the French head of the
ECMM, Jean-Pierre Thebault, as the reason for such
ECMM reporting. Shrader speculates that Thebault was
acting under national instructions, consistent with
the Paris policy to advocate Arab interests in the
West. To add to this point of view, Shrader notes
that ECMM reporting improved once Sir Martin Garrod
took over the mission in October 1993.

Another reason for Thebault's biased reporting may
have been the EC plan for BiH at the time, which
looked to assign 33% of BiH territory to the
Muslim-majority republic. The EC lead negotiator Lord
Owen wanted to achieve this percentage by assigning
the largest part of the Lasva Valley to the
Muslim-majority republic. As a Brussels civil servant,
Thebault would have understood his role as needing to
craft his reports to advance the policy goals of the
negotiators, i.e., to support the ABiH offensive. In
turn, Sir Martin would have been motivated to change
the reporting direction when Brussels and Lord Owen
began pressuring the Muslim side to accept the
three-republic Owen-Stoltenberg plan in Fall 1993,
after the Croats accepted it in the Summer.

Taking cue from the Iraq crisis, one simply cannot
overlook the concept of sexing up. But Thebault
clearly went to the extreme. In fact, he was not
sexing up, but perverting down. As a result, the
mainstream view of this conflict is so convoluted and
yet, as such, embedded in stone. Thus, it compelled
the Blaskic defense to, in effect, accept the main
premise of the ICTY Prosecution about the Croat grand
scheme to ethnically cleanse the Muslims, and argue
naively that Blaskic, despite being the chief military
officer in the area, was innocent because he
personally did not partake in such a campaign.

Thus, in some way, the book comes too late for the
central Bosnia cases at the ICTY, but its outstanding
research and current concepts in international
relations, might make it a powerful document in the
future. It is the first work on this conflict in any
language. Blaskic and others just may be able to
introduce it eventually as new evidence in national
courts in the countries where they will be serving
their unjust sentences.

The author was Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to
the E.U. and NATO in 1998-2000. He occasionally
comments on Balkan affairs in the Wall Street Journal
Europe and other media.

Serb faces jury over bombing Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik suspect too unwell for court

The first court appearance of a former Yugoslav army officer charged with the 1991 shelling of Dubrovnik in Croatia has been delayed because he is unwell. Vladimir Kovacevic had been due to appear before the war crimes tribunal at The Hague on Monday, after being handed over to the court by the authorities in Belgrade last Thursday.
Some 40 people died in the shelling  Tribunal spokesman Jim Landale said on Monday: "He's not well. The initial appearance has been postponed due to ill-health."

Details of his illness have not been released.

He is one of the so-called "Dubrovnik three" and the last person on the Dubrovnik indictment to be brought before the court.
Vladimir Kovacevic, nicknamed "Rambo" - faces six counts of war crimes, including murder, cruel treatment and destruction of historic monuments.

Dubrovnik, a medieval walled city, is listed as one of the world's heritage sites.

More than 40 civilians were killed and parts of the city destroyed during a siege by the Yugoslav army.
They attacked the city just after Croatia declared independence in 1991.
Plea bargains
Now all three suspects indicted for the shelling of Dubrovnik are awaiting trial in The Hague.
General Pavle Strugar and navy Admiral Miodrag Jokic both surrendered to the court and pleaded not guilty.
Mr Jokic changed his plea to guilty in August.
A fourth man, Milan Zec, was under investigation, but charges against him have been dropped.

There has been a series of guilty pleas as part of plea bargains during the past few months.

Half a dozen suspects have pleaded guilty in return for some of the charges against them being dropped and demands for a lesser sentence by the prosecution.

"Neka se ne zaboravi"

Ove 2003. godine dolazi na poziv DRUSTVA PRIJATELJA MATICE HRVATSKE za svoj tradicionalni tjedan knjige profesor ZVONIMIR SEPAROVIC a tema tjedna je :

"Neka se ne zaboravi"

predavanja kroz 3 dana ce biti :

1. ZRTVA ZA HRVATSKU --TEMELJ HRVATSKE DRZAVE

2. SUVERENITET HRVATSKE --TEMELJNA NACIONALNA VRIJEDNOST

a kako je 19. studenog spomendan Vukovarske tragedije a prof. Separovic predsjednik
Hrvatskog Zrtvoslovnog Drustva, biti ce i toj komemoraciji posveceno jedno predavanje.

Danas je u Hrvatskoj veliki problem, kako staviti na pravo mjesto nase najnovije povjesnice, velike zrtve koje su hrvatske obitelji, narod dao za slobodu i suverenitet Hrvatske.
To je danas sve stavljeno u pitanje s progonima nasih heroja.

Tjedan knjige ce zapoceti sa sv Misom u 11:15 u Hrvatskoj Katolickoj Crkvi u nedjelju
16. studenog, te u ponedjeljak, utorak i srijedu 17. 18. i 19 studenog u 7 sati na vecer.

Svi ste pozvani i dobro dosli.

Za DPMH Vera Valcic Belic, predsjednica.

CIVILISATIONAL DIVIDES OF KNOWLEDGE BY DR ANTE SIMONIĆ

Mirko Tomasović, Academician

CIVILISATIONAL DIVIDES OF KNOWLEDGE by Dr ANTE SIMONIĆ
SPEECH AT BOOK LAUNCH
SPLIT, 16 AUGUST 20000
ZAGREB, 13 DECEMBER 2000

What we call modern civilisation is obsessed and weighted down by information. By news that the media do not only broadcast but produce, as well. The media is a new god, on the one hand spellbinding for man who has always thirsted for knowledge, on the other a false god with chaotic and destructive power. As always in the history of mankind, divinity seeks for a cult, followers, rites, sacrifices and altars, it spreads its grace but also its horror. The pressure for news gives birth to superfluous and excessive information, most of it useless. It includes details from the everyday life of sports, show business and political stars with a wealth of miscellaneous details about their private lives.
In addition there is also a lot of information that confuses people. Crime pages feature abuses and show all the deviations and distortions the human race is prone to as journalists persist in writing about accidents, catastrophes, calamities, everything that is out of the ordinary in the more immediate or wider community. What is more, this media god is openly or behind the scenes groomed by political groups, and this is so, mutatis mutandi, from the Urals to Lisbon, from Alaska to the Tierra del Fuego, in other words, everywhere. Have the people of today developed a defence mechanism from the horror that washes over them every time they open the papers, switch on the radio or, even more dangerous, the TV? I do not think so, unless they resort to using chemicals in the form of sedatives. Instead of relying on carefully selected and reliable human knowledge, such as that in this book by Dr Ante Simonić, which might have a calming and composing influence. That is why I consider it an honour to join my colleagues in presenting his book to the general public.
Man always felt the need and temptation to know and learn as much as possible, and this desire was the moving force for all discoveries and progress and helped him to develop a better life. As things stand today, his tree of knowledge has been invaded by many parasites that suck its juices and devour its leaves. While this is going on basic knowledge is disappearing from the horizon, its perspective has been lost. This book of two volumes with a revealing title, Civilisational Divides of Knowledge (Civilizacijske razmeđe znanja), directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously, is in opposition to things as they now are and re-examines them through the perspective of many millennia of acquiring knowledge and mastering skills, an exciting path during which man came to be separated from and elevated above animals. Professor Simonić has made a grand effort to conceptualise and structure this dimension of homo faber in a book that is rather untypical for today in approach and elaboration. This is an age that thirsts for bestsellers, hits, sensations and the exotic, new specialist or micro analytical books, but Simonić has accomplished a great humanistic synthesis, laying before us the history of human achievement since time immemorial. At first glance it is a didactic book, and this is enough to make it desirable. Allow me to quote a wise Italian saying,  L uomo ignorante  la tempesta della civiltŕ , or,  An ignorant man erases civilisation . The ignorance we are surrounded by, especially in public activities, is even worse than primitivism, which is a scourge in itself. This book, however, is not only didactic. It is an essay-like examination of the path travelled by mankind written by a man who both thinks and feels, a scholar who collects and classifies material producing objective and established knowledge and facts, and a writer with analytical insight and literary (stylistic) proficiency. These factors make the work his own vision, a post-modern sister to the syntheses written in the Enlightenment period, encyclopaedias of the eighteenth century, medieval lucidars, and polyvalent, humanistic, history tractates with a strong personal stamp. He did not need only persistence, diligence and loyalty to his concept, he also needed self-assurance to emerge with a project of this kind and place it before the nervy reader in the post-modern literary age. In this case self-assurance allied with ambition, knowledge and insight were an investment for success. If we read the book carefully we may begin to have doubts: is it possible to fit between the covers of one book all the changes and developments that have occurred on Earth, that took place in man s soul, mind and heart from Mesopotamia to Hiroshima; is it possible to encompass the spiritual, religious and philosophical currents from the myths of Sumer to Karl Raimundo and Popper, the evolution of scholarship and science and the heritage of civilisations through the fog of historical storms in Egypt, Persia, Judea, India, China, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, from medieval Europe to the dollar giant of today? The book reassures us, satisfies our curiosity and keeps us engrossed to the last page. This is the primary and most important effect of every book, its reception by and impact on the reader.
It is a stratified book with a polyhistorical approach and interdisciplinary nature, and its critical test will depend on the affinity and professional basis of the critic himself. However, I speak here about the book as a whole; it is a work that taught me a lot, helped me review my general knowledge, reminded me of a lot from the treasury of mankind, things that I had once heard and admired but then forgotten. This occurred through many to me unknown details: for example the descriptions of the Tolteks-Aztecs, Mayas and Incas and their marvelous civilization, data about ancient medicine and drugs (of which we still use some, ephedrine for example), Egyptian sports, Mesopotamian gods, about Canaan and Babylon, the Talmud and the honorable Koran, about Arab achievements. All this was passed down to modern Europe by osmosis, entering through the pores of poetry, drama, music, dance and religious art. As a reader I could, of course, not stifle my professional interest and I paid special attention to literature. On this level too the book satisfied me. Rereading the texts in Professor Simonić s quotations I thought about how mankind has even today not moved very far in some crucial problems; medicines against many diseases have not yet been found, and even those used by arrogant modern medicine were discovered by ancient witch-doctors, healers, surgeons, comforters (psychiatrists). It is the same with architecture, town planning, unsurpassed horticulture, amazing irrigation. In this context I will praise the author more specially for what he has written about literature, where I am more competent to judge. I checked the data, which are true, the facts and information are reliable, in accordance with the general integrity of the book. I am glad that my colleague Simonić honoured the role of literature in the general evolution of mankind and that he was glad to read literary texts. This can be seen from his anthological inserts, well chosen and functional. In one word, the factographic outline of the literary material is very reliable, which I can testify after reading entries about medieval minstrels, great men of the Romance languages, romantics, fields where I could hardly miss any inaccuracy. By induction I can therefore suppose that this high level is guaranteed in other fields as well, art, science, culture. Conscientiousness about facts is a precondition for scholarship and a foundation for individual judgment, for an independent view of certain phenomena, and it underpins this voluminous book. We can picture the book as a pyramid with many floors, rooms and treasuries that does not become a labyrinth for the visitor because the complex system has a vertical axis that holds it all together, made by a skilled architect. We should not make the mistake of thinking that the writer of this book wanted to give an idyllic picture of the history of mankind. He critically observed the organisation and disorganisation of human destiny, the forces of progress and destruction, fatal mistakes, wars, repression, rampaging ideologies in the march of history. It might be said that the human race is coming to its senses slowly and with difficulty, that it is irrationally repeating mistakes, that it is often the slave of  great illusions . Does the re-examination of history leave us sceptical like Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević; quotation,  The closer we are to the sky, the further away from it we are , or enthusiastic like Victor Hugo, in whose view human history is a rise from darkness to ideals. Perhaps the latter is our choice. Ante Simonić has his own stand: to achieve liberty and peace we need knowledge, but linked with wisdom. This is the precondition for establishing harmony in our goals, wishes and possibilities (p. 835). We will find a lot of knowledge and grains of wisdom in his book Civilisational Divides of Knowledge, great erudition, acribia and encyclopedic virtues of a work written fluently, clearly and succinctly. Thus we recommend it to readers of both sexes, all ages and profiles for complete or selective use, and we suggest that it should find a place in public and family libraries on the same shelves as valuable basic works like monographs and dictionaries. In one word, I sincerely congratulate Dr Ante Simonić, as a colleague and a friend. To use the language of sports, since the writer was and has remained an active sportsman, I congratulate him on victory in this marathon around the globe on the paths and through the wilderness of time. We must also give due recognition to the publishers for making it possible for this work of almost 900 pages to reach the hands of those who need knowledge. Without offence, this is all of us. Thank you!

Mia Jerkov

5 time Pac-10 player of the week

Sports Illustrated magazine has a weekly column entitled "Faces in the Crowd" which recognizes outstanding athletes in the US, most of whom are involved in school sports. The October 27, 2003 issue says the following about Croatian Mia Jerkov:

"Mia Jerkov. Split Croatia. Volleyball.

Jerkov, a junior outside hitter at California, had 65 killes on 144 attempts with 26 errors over two matches, one a win over Stanford, a school the Golden Bears hadn't beaten since 1982. She is a five-time Pac-10 Volleyball Player of the Week."

Cardinal Josip Bozanic ofCroatia

Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Croatia, Archbishop of Zagreb receives his ring from Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II during a Mass with the newly elevated Cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican (news - web sites), Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003. A day after giving the new members of the College of Cardinals their trademark scarlet hat, the pontiff presented the men with their cardinals' rings, which symbolize their link to the Church and the pope. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano)

Written by Susan Hodara for The New York Times, October 5th, 2003

Special price- Order CD: A Tousand Years of Peace

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Jason does it again ! (op-ed)

 IN THE EARLY ’90s, post-Communism set off a messy power struggle. The last time most of us saw Croatia, it was imploding live on CNN. Peaceful now for nearly a decade, Croatia is again attracting Europeans to her secluded beaches and her tangled streets. Yet for Americans, Croatia remains forgotten. The whims of twentieth-century politics reshuffled it into a blind spot between worlds, but it’s gradually reentering the mainstream. A baby democracy of royal parentage, it remains as Italian as Venice, as Austrian as Vienna, and as much Caesar’s as Rome.
       As a first-time trip reveals, Croatia holds some of vacationdom’s biggest surprises: a Roman emperor’s palace and one of earth’s largest gladiator coliseums. The most spectacular walled city known to Europe. Some of the most scenic coastal drives on the planet. Olive oil, pizza, seafood, truffles. Long afternoon siestas, charming cafés.
       Best of all, it presents the U.S. tourist with a refreshing price structure, though not as low as its shambling economy might denote. Businesses are savvy to big-spending Germans and Italians, so prices are not only quoted in the local kuna (kn) but also often in euros (€), so learn the € to kn exchange rate (at press time, about 1 to 8) to guarantee the best deals. ($1.15=€1 and $1=7kn.) Still, in spite of this confusing pricing system, with my help Croatia can give you a dream Mediterranean vacation at $25 a night for a room with a view, $8 for a meal, and $2.50 for attractions. Try beating those prices in haughty France or aggressive Greece. For more information: Croatian National Tourist Board, 800/829-4416, www.croatia.hr.
       
ZAGREB: VIENNA’S SISTER

       Tourists touch down either in Dubrovnik or here, the inland capital of Hrvatska (Croatia’s local name). Some zoom straight to the coast, but wise ones linger in this fine, manageable city that recalls the Beaux Arts zenith of the Hapsburgs. Actually two medieval towns fused into one and embellished by neoclassicists, Zagreb has zero tourist culture, and so no traps.
       There are plenty of authentic elements worth losing yourself in, such as squares of proud Vienna-style buildings and clattering trams, a network of prim parks, and a stash of capital-quality museums. Those include the studio of legendary sculptor Ivan Meštrovic; the broad Mimara art collection, beqeathed by a tycoon; and a densely curated city museum (all around 16kn/$2.30 each). But Zagreb’s most welcoming feature is a proliferation of unhurried cafés—its dominant social mode. Bring a book and steep in the atmosphere awhile.
       Croatians don’t eat out much, so restaurants are priced for foreigners ($8 to $18 a full meal wherever you go). If they eat out at all, Croatians prefer pizza. Here, pizza isn’t gloppy with grease like it is at home, but a genuine meal, and every block has a cheap, classy, sit-down pizzeria serving fresh ingredients like prosciutto, chilies, and octopus. It’s your fallback, too; expect to pay 20kn/$2.85 to 40kn/$5.70 for a foot-wide pie and expect to leave satisfied.
       Room & Breakfast: Unlike on the coast, the concept of quality budget lodging is as fresh to Zagreb as tourism itself. Two-year-old Hotel Dora gets it right, with quiet, pleasant rooms a 10-minute walk south of the train station, at downtown’s edge (Trnjanska 11e, 01/63-11-900). Doubles are 277kn/$40 per person, singles 307kn/$44, including breakfast. On the central shopping avenue, Ilica, about a mile west of the main square, Trg Jelacica, is Hotel Ilica, small but neat and from 449kn/$64 a double, 349kn/$50 a single, including breakfast (Ilica 102, 01/37-77-522, www.hotel-ilica.hr). Zagreb’s HI (Hostelling International) hostel is a grim, Red Star-era tourist prison, so hop the #11 or #12 tram to the custom-built Ravnice Hostel (1 Ravnice 38d, 01/23-32-325, www.ravnice-youth-hostel.hr; Ravnice tram stop), airy and singing with wind chimes beside the fragrant Kraš chocolate factory. In addition to two double rooms, it has what must be the cleanest toilets in the hostel universe, and all beds cost 99kn/$14 a night. Zagreb info: www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr.
       
DUBROVNIK: WALLED WONDER

       At the southernmost tail of the country’s coast (in the region called Dalmatia, as in the dogs), Dubrovnik has always been special. Its skyline alone, one of the world’s most stirring—ranking with Manhattan, Hong Kong, or Cape Town—has awed for centuries. For half a millennium, until Napoleon, it was an independent city-state, accountable to no one and awash in riches, and that age endowed it with treasures.
       Twelve years ago, for eight memorable months, Serbian rebels shelled Dubrovnik from the hills above while residents cowered in the city’s 700-year-old fortresses. Most of the damage has been repaired and aside from the glow of new roof tiles, most visitors wouldn’t know. Disaster has long courted Dubrovnik, anyway; a 1667 earthquake did still worse damage.
       Old Town is the fortified area bisected by the gleaming avenue Stradun and capped everywhere by those famous earthen tiles, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site brimming with attractions: the Franciscan Monastery, with its delicate arches and 700-year-old pharmacy; Ono-frio’s Fountain, from 1444, festooned with spitting faces; the assiduously carved Rector’s Palace; the Dominican Monastery’s priceless art and the well that quenched the thirst of residents during the war; the cathedral’s polyptych by Titian (shockingly, exposed to sunlight) and its overstuffed reliquary of withered martyrs’ bones and fingers. Nothing’s more than 15kn/$2.15 to enter. You could roam here for days.
       Dubrovnik’s singularity, manifest in the spectacular medieval walls that encircle it for one-and-a-quarter miles (don’t miss walking them for 15kn/$2.15), is hard to dismiss. Some claim just being on its white stone streets, with no cars or skyscrapers to shatter the illusion of time travel, verges on a mystical experience. People come to stroll, loiter at cafés, and swim where the Adriatic laps gently at ancient fortifications. (And when cruise ships disgorge the hordes, they escape to the beaches.)
       As one wanders the alleys and bright squares, all the outdoor cafés seem identical—risotto for around 50kn/$7.15, meat dishes for 90kn/$13, and so on—but locals whisper praise for the one called Moby Dick, beneath the last remaining medieval balconies on Prijeko. Also sample the local taste for strolling with ice cream; at 10kn/$1.45 a cone, dessert covers a lot of ground.


       As is often the case with postwar societies, Croatians come across as a touch numb, showing few signs of the passion that fueled the recent bloodshed. Inland, farmhouses remain bulletpocked and burnt, but in Dubrovnik, emotional scars lie deep. When I told one resident I live in New York City, she murmured with solidarity. This woman, a survivor of the Dubrovnik terror, had the single most sympathetic question anyone ever asked me about September 11. “Did it make a terrible sound?” she asked, and perhaps remembering her own trauma, probed no further.
       Room & Breakfast: Most low-cost/package hotels land you three miles west of Old Town, by the beaches and away from the magic. There are two hotels within city walls, but one charges $226 a night and the other $150. So one of the cheapest options (still a 15-minute walk west from the Pile Gate) is Fadila Vulic B&B (Dr. Ante Starcevica 54, 020/412-787), 250kn/$36 to 300kn/$43 per room, breakfast 20kn/$2.85. Five minutes farther, the front-facing rooms at Hotel Lero (Iva Vojnovic´a 14, 020/341-333, www.hotel-lero.hr) have distant sea views; B&B rates are 290kn/$41 a person, double, and 420kn/$60 a single, and high summer costs 25 percent more. The best option, though, is to rent a villa owned by absentee western Europeans. Consult the British brokers Croatian Villas (011-44/20-8368-9978, www.croatianvillas.com) or Hidden Croatia (011-44/20-7736-6066, www.hiddencroatia.com), for summer flats for as little as $350/week. Up that to $100/night for abject opulence. To get a famous view of Old Town, you must splurge; I loved Grand Villa Argentina (Frana Supila 14, 020/440-555, www.hoteli-argentina.hr). Cascading down a cliff to the very lip of the Adriatic, it’s where reporters stayed during the siege in 1991-92, so its sensual Old Town panorama was made iconic by CNN. Outside of summer, its modern (renovated in 2003) rooms are in the middle $100s—money you can avoid paying by choosing a cheaper place, but far less than comparable quarters at home. For Dubrovnik area information, see www.tzdubrovnik.hr.
       
SPLIT: ROMAN HOLIDAY
If the Palace of Diocletian were in the middle of, say, London, it would be a beloved treasure. Instead, in Split, two thirds of the way down the coast of Croatia, it’s furniture.


       If the Palace of Diocletian were in the middle of, say, London, it would be a beloved treasure. Instead, in Split, two thirds of the way down the coast of Croatia, it’s furniture. The Palace was built for a Roman emperor in a.d. 295. Still inhabited, it’s now an open-air warren of boutiques, hidden pubs, and smoky shrines. Split is the second-largest city in Croatia and the port for its most appealing islands. It’s also perfect for hanging out. Simply sipping espresso under the weathered porticos and Corinthian columns is one of the finest diversions I’ve had in Europe.
       Croatia’s glittering swatch of the Adriatic—glassy smooth and because of natural currents, among the cleanest of the whole Mediterranean region—was once just an outer borough of Rome. North of the Palace are more Roman remnants, and three miles inland are the ruins of the city of Salona, complete with a still-working aquaduct (free).


       In addition to the Palace (free), tony shopping, and all those seafront cafés, there’s Trogir, a seaside village (and, like the Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) of Renaissance-era glory. It’s 30 minutes away via the port’s bus station (14kn/$2 each way) and makes for a film-gobbling day out. The sculptor Meštrovic’s estate, a 25-minute walk west of town, is a showcase for his arresting handiwork (15kn/$2.15). Croatia’s main highway runs perilously but spectacularly along the coast in both directions from Split, and it makes for a world-class multiday drive.
       Room & Breakfast: Don’t be afraid, here or anywhere in the country, to lodge in private residences. Older women who have lost their sons and husbands offer sobe, or rooms, for pocket money (think $15 to $35). Bargain, but ask how far from town the house is. Lodging within the Palace: the basic but warm Prenocište Slavija (Buvinova 2, 021/347-053), hidden up a staircase behind Jupiter’s Temple; rooms with shared bath are 317kn/$45 double, 233kn/$33 single; private baths are 70kn/$10 more. The impressive Bellevue (J. Bana Jelacica 2, 021/347-499) is humdrum but ideally located, and some rooms face the Riva quay; 560kn/$80 double, 375kn/$54 single, summer about 70kn/$10 more. Croatia is one of the few places you can afford luxury; Hotel Park (Hatzeov perivoj 3, www.hotelpark-split.hr), a former palace on a trendy section of the sea, costs E61/$70 to E67/$77 per person double, E93/$107 to E103/$118 single. Split info: www.visitsplit.com.
       
HVAR: ADRIATIC RELIC



Comprehensive guided tour, including home visits, cooking classes and more from just $1495 with air from US Carnival in Croatia from $870, airfare and hotel; add a visit to Venice's famed Carnival for just $325 more

       In a country with 1,185 islands, there are plenty of choices for offshore escapes. No Croatian vacation is complete without a stop on at least one. Korcula has sword dancing, Pag is renowned for tart cheese, and Mljet is a forested national park. Here is the Adriatic of Jason and his Argonauts, of pirates, and of Marco Polo. Even the region’s stone is famous; nearby quarries dressed the White House and the U.N.

       Hvar, though, may be the quintessential Croatian isle. Scented by fields of wild lavender, its heart is the hamlet Hvar Town, which curls around a row of coves and is adorned with Venetian architecture, a knot of narrow streets, and a hilltop fortress.
       Hvar Town’s lures, besides authenticity and a ban on cars (park outside the city walls), include a seafront Franciscan monastery with its century-old cypress garden and over 200 pristine Greek and Roman coins; a theater dating from 1612 said to be the first in Europe to admit commoners; a glorious central square full of soccer-playing kids; and the castle above it all. All tickets cost 15kn/$2.15, tops.
       Room & Breakfast: Arrive via a 90-minute Split-Stari Grad car ferry (E29/$33, each way with car) and drive 30 minutes across the island. Croatians are aggressive drivers; let peevish bumper-huggers pass. For Hvar Town, book early. Hotel Slavija (021/741-820) is 157kn/$22 double in winter to 420kn/$60 double B&B in summer. Hotel Palace (021/741-966) is $7 to $15 more and closest to the square; full board costs about $7 more per night if you stay three or more nights. Hotel Amfora (021/741-202), a 15-minute walk past town on the water, is a very ’70s megaresort on a private beach charging 188kn/$27 to 503kn/$72 double, with breakfast, depending on season and view. Either Hotel Palace or Hotel Slavija remains open for winter. All three hotels are online at www.suncanihvar.hr. Hvar info: www.hvar.hr.
       
ROVINJ: VENETIAN CHARMER
       A vacation in Istria, or northwest Croatia, might as well be one in Italy, such are the slouching brown buildings, olive-oil-washed cuisine, and laconic company. Rovinj (“roe-VEEN-ya”) is one of the most striking images of nautical Europe: A lordly cathedral with a jumble of houses gathered in its skirts, all rising abruptly out of the azure sea. Rovinj was developed by the Venetians, and the Italians can’t seem to let go; thousands drive in (Trieste is less than an hour north) to throng its winding, café-lined waterfront, where floating markets sell sponges, shells, and other knickknacks.
       Most tourists plant themselves on a beach or on an outlying island for at least a few days of a stay. But a 45-minute southerly drive brings you to Pula, home to one of the world’s largest Roman coliseum ruins (16kn/$2.30), still used as a theater. Other relics: the Arch of the Sergians (30 b.c.; free) and the Temple of Augustus (about 2 b.c. but rebuilt; free).
       Room & Breakfast: Book early to beat the Italians. There are few cheap options in town. The only high-capacity hotel with the requisite view of the Old Town is the concrete package-tour mill Hotel Park (I.M. Ronjgova bb, 052/811-077), E31/$36 to E60/$69 per person, with breakfast; for all meals add 20 percent. Hotels within the Old Town aren’t cheap but might be worth it, since fussing with parking in this car-free town is a trial. The Hotel Villa Angelo D’Oro (Via Svalba 38-42, 052/840-502, www.rovinj.at) is a richly accented Venetian charmer, E55/$63 a person, winter, to E96/$110 a person, summer, with breakfast. Hotel Adriatic, on the noisy main square, is a good choice (E31/$36 to E52/$60 a person in a double, with breakfast, seasonally; 052/815-088, adriatic@jadran.tdr.hr). Private flats are the least expensive route; they range E20/$23 to E45/$52 a night for two, based on season, and can be arranged via www.inforovinj.com. Regional info: www.tzgrovinj.hr (Rovinj), www.istra.com (Istria).
       
CROATIA: TIPS AND QUIRKS
Money: Credit cards and ATMs are common.
Phones When calling Croatia from North America, first dial 011-385 and drop the first zero. It’s six hours ahead of our East Coast.
Hotels: Most were communist-designed, so midpriced ones are often as good as top-price ones; guests are required to surrender their passports, usually over the first night, to be registered with police; on May Day (May 1) and in July and August, book ahead.
Languages: Croatian; also widely spoken are German, Italian, and English.
Eating: Restaurants fill after 7 p.m.; waiters allow patrons to linger all night if a bill isn’t requested; always ask if “service” is included to avoid stiffing the waiter; if liqueur is offered, it’s not a swindle—it’s a traditional post-meal courtesy.
Driving: Major names like Avis and National rent compacts ($20 to $30/day); add $10 a day for automatic transmissions, and choose a vehicle tiny enough to navigate those medieval alleys; towns are well marked but roads aren’t, so find a map packed with names.
Shopping: On the coast, businesses close in mid-afternoon and reopen for evening. Inland, they observe regular hours.
       
SIX WAYS TO GET THERE FROM HOME OR EUROPE
       Air Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr) flies to Zagreb from major European cities (London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Frankfurt). Internal flights are cheap (Dubrovnik-Zagreb one way: about $60).
       Ferry Routes from Italy include Venice-Rovinj (Venezia Lines, 21/2 hours, E42/$48 one way, www.venezialines.com) and Ancona-Split (multiple companies, 41/2 hours or overnight; E47/$54 to E79/$91, www.traghettionline.net). Domestic routes are covered by Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr).
       Trains Zagreb-Budapest (five hours, $39, www.raileurope.com), Vienna (six hours, $57, www.raileurope.com). Many people train to Trieste, Italy, and drive or bus from there (about 30 minutes). There are no high-speed capabilities, and the coast is not adequately served by rail.


       Packages: now sells Dubrovnik, including air on Lufthansa, transfers, and a hotel for six nights with breakfast, for $599 from November to March (from New York; other cities available for slightly higher rates). Or fly to England to catch a British package, which are plentiful; in 2003’s peak season (July), there were weeklong stays in Dubrovnik, with airfare, for Ł395/$649
       Charter yacht Croatia-based ABEO rents boats sleeping four to six from E1,100/$1,265 a week (motorboats), E1,600/$1,840 a week (sailboats).
       
       {Editor’s Note: Have you ever vacationed in Croatia? Do you have an instructive anecdote, tip or horror story to share? We’d love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simply click here to send a letter to our editors. traveleditor@newsweekbt.com
       
       Copyright Š 2003 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.
       
Jason Cochran is senior editor of Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel.

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