One of the controversies about the attacks on the former Yugoslavia were the allegations that the European Union particularly Germany accelerated the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the process of ethnic cleansing by early recognition of Croatian independence.
Although the story below dates back to Saturday week ago: it is important to note for the record how history has worked out. All part of the onward march of European finance capital and intervention in neighbouring countries. The Guardian which, like me, was in favour of some sort of intervention in Kosovo (though not the imperialist intervention that occurred) appears to be publishing this story which has been lined up as a favourable propaganda piece to justify the EU decision to open negotiations and accelerate the entry of Croatia as early as 2008 along with Romania and Bulgaria. Croatia builds goodwill in Serb villages Handing in war crime suspects and welcoming home refugees opens door to EU membership Ian Traynor in Zagreb Saturday June 19, 2004 >>In Brussels yesterday the leaders of the EU invited Croatia to enter negotiations to join the union: a big victory for a prime minister only six months in office, and one which sets an example to the rest of the war-ravaged western Balkans - Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania. After years of having their EU ambitions blocked, not least by Britain, the Croats are being invited in because their government is surrendering war crimes suspects to the international tribunal in The Hague and, finally, letting ethnic Serbs return to their homes and property.<<< >>> The surprise is that these policy changes have come from the Croatian Democratic Union - the same nationalist party which was led by the late president Franjo Tudjman and was responsible for grievous war crimes in the 90s. Mr Sanader has purged the party of extremists, seeking to turn it into a mainstream European Christian democratic party, and is achieving human rights and war crimes' objectives which eluded his well-meaning but weak Social Democratic predecessor, Ivica Racan. On the question of Serbian refugees, his policy reaps dividends and plaudits internationally while running little political risk at home, simply because so few Serbs are returning. <<< http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1242401,00.html including much human interest details.Nothing of course about the social and political system. Chris Burford
