{"id":35209,"date":"2013-10-21T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T11:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=35209"},"modified":"2015-05-05T22:21:21","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T21:21:21","slug":"commentary-on-prof-galtungs-editorial-balkan-integration-process-in-a-global-framework","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2013\/10\/commentary-on-prof-galtungs-editorial-balkan-integration-process-in-a-global-framework\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on Prof. Galtung\u2019s Editorial \u201cBalkan Integration Process in a Global Framework\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<ol>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Introduction: <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">On the15 Oct, 2012 TMS editorial titled <i>Balkan Wars at 100: Four Roads to Good Neighborhood<\/i>, Prof. Galtung argued about the integration of the Balkan. \u00a0(See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2012\/10\/balkan-wars-at-100-four-roads-to-good-neighborhood\/\" >https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2012\/10\/balkan-wars-at-100-four-roads-to-good-neighborhood\/<\/a>\u00a0 )\u00a0 In the present editorial (14 Oct, 2013), <i>Balkan Integration Process in a Global Framework<\/i>, he argues about the integration of the Balkan again. (See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2013\/10\/balkan-integration-process-in-a-global-framework\/\" >http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2013\/10\/balkan-integration-process-in-a-global-framework\/<\/a> \u00a0)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In addition, the formula used in the editorial last year is used again in the editorial this year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EQUITY X HARMONY<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">PEACE = \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 TRAUMA X CONFLICT<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0The formula cannot be changed frequently so that it is no problem that Prof. Galtung uses the same formula this year again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Last year, I made a comment on his editorial.\u00a0 This year, I am making a comment on his editorial again.\u00a0 It was my honor to make a comment on Prof. Galtung\u2019s editorial last year.\u00a0 It is my honor to make a comment on his editorial this year again supplementing some relevant background information.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Note: In this comment, \u201cYugoslavia\u201d means the \u201cSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia\u201d (also called the \u201csecond Yugoslavia\u201d or \u201cTito\u2019s Yugoslavia\u201d) that existed until 1991.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn1\">[1]<\/a> \u00a0The \u201cBalkan\u201d in this comment means the republics and areas that constituted the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMacedonia\u201d is referred to the \u201cFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As to the integration of the Balkan peoples, two main questions may be raised.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>First: Do the Balkan peoples wish to integrate themselves?<\/li>\n<li>Second:\u00a0 What would be the possible reaction of the \u201cpower outside the Balkans\u201d (especially, the Western powers) if the Balkan peoples would work for their integration?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As to the first question, the integration can never be done if the Balkan peoples do not wish to work toward the integration.\u00a0 For instance, do Bosnian Muslims wish to integrate with Bosnian Serbs and Serbian Serbs, for instance?\u00a0 Do ethnic Albanians in Kosovo wish to integrate with Serbs, for instance?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As to the second question, if the Balkan peoples would integrate, it means the (re)emergence of a regional power in front of the Western European countries.\u00a0 Will the Western European countries welcome the emergence of the Balkan regional power? \u00a0\u00a0The answer is clear.<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><b>2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Balkans Today: \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">For the convenience of the arguments in this comment, allow me to briefly describe (but not comprehensively) some aspects of the Balkan areas, together with some background information:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>The Balkans: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">When the Roman Empire was divided into the two empires in 395, its border was almost the same border (some 40km difference) between Croatia and Serbia today.\u00a0 In 1059 Christian church split into two churches; Croatia became to belong to the Catholic realm \u2013 the Western Roman Empire, while Serbia became to belong to the Orthodox realm, the Eastern Roman Empire.\u00a0 During the 1990s, these two countries fought against each other.\u00a0 Western (Catholic) countries supported Croatia, while Russia, the Orthodox country, supported Serbia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>The Reality of the Border between Serbs and Croats:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Regardless of the border, however, things have not been very easy and clear.\u00a0 It was because relatively many ethnic Serbs (= citizens of Croatia, whose religion is Orthodox) have been living in Eastern Slavonia, Western Slavonia, outskirts of northern part of Krajina (= outskirts of Karlovac, of Kostajnica and of Sisak areas) and Krajina in Croatia, while relatively many ethnic Croats (= citizens of Serbia, whose religion is Catholic) have been living in Zemun<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn2\">[2]<\/a>, the outskirts of Belgrade. \u00a0Besides, inside these ethnic Serb residential areas in Croatia, ethnic Croatian villages have existed.\u00a0 On top of that, many of them have been ethnically mixed.\u00a0 In the Balkans, mixed marriages are a common phenomenon.\u00a0 Even Croatian nationalist President Tu\u0111man, who died of cancer in 1999, had a mixed family; his grandchild is an ethnic Serb.\u00a0 Furthermore, for ethnic Serbs who were born and brought up in Croatia, Serbia is a foreign country.\u00a0 These ethnic Serbs and Croats went to school together and have worked together in the same region.\u00a0 Vice versa, for ethnic Croats who were born and brought up in Serbia, Croatia is a foreign country.\u00a0 Things are not very easy, as mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Croatia: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">During the 1990s, the situations in the above mentioned Eastern Slavonia, Western Slavonia, Northern part of Krajina and Krajina became tense.\u00a0 These areas were designated as the UN Protection Areas; UNPA East (Eastern Slavonia), UNPA West (Western Slavonia), UNPA North (some part of Kordun and some part of Banovina) and UNPA South (Krajina).\u00a0 How much was the situation tense?\u00a0 Some UN officials working in these areas suffered from PTSD after their mission.\u00a0 Harsh battles were engaged in these areas upon Croatia\u2019s independent declaration in 1991. It was before the deployment of UN Peacekeepers. Then, except UNPA East where UNTAES (= the UN Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia) peacefully disarmed the armed forces of the local ethnic Serbs in 1996,<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn3\">[3]<\/a> the Croatian Army advanced into these areas (I.e. UNPAs West, South and North) in 1995 regardless of the UN Peacekeepers\u2019 presence and regained the areas after intensive battles.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn4\">[4]<\/a> \u00a0(At the time of the Croatian Army\u2019s attack to these UNPAs, the UN Peacekeepers were instructed that they should stay out of the battle between the Croatian Army and the local ethnic Serb forces no matter what would happen to them.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Macedonia: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Approximately a quarter of the population of Macedonia is ethnic Albanians.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn5\">[5]<\/a> \u00a0Main stream ethnic Macedonians are afraid of the potential possibility of these ethnic Albanians\u2019 uprising toward the secession from Macedonia and the merge with Kosovo (i.e. Kosovo\u2019s ethnic Albanians) and with Albania.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn6\">[6]<\/a> \u00a0There is an unbelievably deep abyss between the two peoples.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn7\">[7]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Macedonia\u2019s employment rate as of 2010 is 32.0%, the world number 2 unemployment rate, after Namibia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn8\">[8]<\/a> \u00a0For their economic survival, even some (former) the Kosova Liberation Army or KLA (=U\u00c7K, pronounced \u201coo-chey-kah\u201d in Albanian) soldiers are working as waiters at their relatives\u2019 caf\u00e9s, located in all over the Balkans (and in Western Europe).\u00a0 One can visit their caf\u00e9 and interview them.\u00a0\u00a0 In addition, one of the effective ways to collect information on the KLA is to contact relevant Serbian and\/or Macedonian authorities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The KLA changed their name (\u201cofficially\u201d disbanded) and some or many of the same members of the KLA.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn9\">[9]<\/a> \u00a0They are reportedly having activities as militia in the ethnic Albanian residential areas outskirts of Tetovo (Macedonia\u2019s second largest city), such as on the foot of the \u0160ar (Sharr) Mountains that extend to Kosovo.\u00a0 In other words, they changed the title of the book but, other than that, it is the same book.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn10\">[10]<\/a> \u00a0The Macedonian authorities are nervous about those armed activities of ethnic Albanians.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn11\">[11]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Macedonian military forces have attacked these mountain areas<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn12\">[12]<\/a> but also they were also attacked by the ethnic Albanian insurgents.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn13\">[13]<\/a>\u00a0 Such incidents were rarely reported by major international mass media.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn14\">[14]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Bosnia-Hercegovina: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Dayton Agreement actually divided Bosnia-Hercegovina into \u201cthree parts\u201d, although the Agreement intended to divide B-H into two parts \u2013 \u201cBosnian Muslim-Bosnian Croat Federation part\u201d and \u201cRepublika Srpska part\u201d (= Bosnian Serbs\u2019 entity).<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn15\">[15]<\/a> \u00a0The three parts are the \u201cBosnian Muslim entity\u201d, the \u201cHerzegovinian ethnic Croats entity\u201d and \u201cRepublika Srpska\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 The relation between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Serbs in Republika Srpska is cold. Herzegovina today is a <i>de facto<\/i> colony of Croatia.\u00a0 It is possible to regard that Croatia and Herzegovina constitute a <i>de facto<\/i> Greater Croatia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn16\">[16]<\/a> \u00a0Some critics point out that the international community prohibited Serbia to create a \u201cGreater Serbia\u201d but the same community allowed Croatia to create a \u201cGreater Croatia\u201d.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn17\">[17]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">An example: In Herzegovina, one can pay in the Croatian currency (Kuna) at many local shops whereas the official currency of Bosnia-Hercegovina is \u201cKM\u201d (= \u201ckah emh\u201d = \u201cKonvertibilna Maraka\u201d).<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn18\">[18]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Another example: It is very often, if not necessarily always, that Croats from Croatia can enter into Herzegovina without any passport control.\u00a0 Ethnic Croats in Herzegovina consider themselves as \u201cCroats\u201d, not residents of \u201cBosnia\u201d.\u00a0 They call their area,\u201cHerzeg-Bosna\u201d, not \u201cBosnia-Herzegovina\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Knowing that the Bosnian government is eager to become a member of NATO, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi\u0107, Croat, NATO\u2019s Assistant Secretary-General, responded recently by stating that the Bosnian government should satisfy the requirements of NATO first of all.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn19\">[19]<\/a> \u00a0Grabar-Kitarovi\u0107 was a Croatian Foreign Minister.\u00a0 It seems that she wants to keep Bosnia away from the Western inner-circle.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Serbs in Serbia: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Two things may be mentioned here.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>Frist: Many Serbs in Serbia still do not understand why the international community hates them.\u00a0 They are losers of the \u201cpropaganda war\u201d during the 1990s. When the war broke out in Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia and Croatia sent their arguments to Western and international institutes\/organizations through faxes, postal mails, television programs and more.\u00a0 Furthermore, they frequently held press conferences for Western journalists, while Serbia did little for that.\u00a0 Serbs then believed the international community would understand the truth in due course.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>Second: Serbia now is on the verge of the state bankruptcy.\u00a0 Serbia is experiencing a serious brain drain (= human capital flight).<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn20\">[20]<\/a> \u00a0Overall, the brain drain is one of the common phenomena in the Balkans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Bosnian Serbs and the propaganda against them:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A few months after the War broke out in Bosnia in 1992, the Bosnian (Muslim) government hired \u201cRuder Finn\u201d, an American propaganda company which delivered exclusively Bosnian Muslims\u2019 argument to hundreds of Western mass media daily during the War in Bosnia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn21\">[21]<\/a> \u00a0In addition, Ruder Finn trained Bosnian politicians to deliver speech effectively in front of the international community, for instance.\u00a0 Furthermore, this propaganda company coached the Bosnian government how to effectively organize a press conference.\u00a0 The result was outstanding.\u00a0 International mass media reacted the way Ruder Finn and the Bosnian government expected.\u00a0 They successfully created a black and white impression among the international community:\u00a0 \u201cBosnian Muslims are victims and good guys vs. Bosnian Serbs are offenders and evil guys.\u201d<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn22\">[22]<\/a> \u00a0That was how news from Bosnia, reported by international mass media, was manipulated in favor of the Bosnian government during the War in Bosnia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn23\">[23]<\/a> \u00a0(Note, however, pointing out of such information manipulation does not mean to justify genocides and other atrocities committed by Bosnian Serbs.\u00a0 Although genocides and other atrocities were committed by all three warring parties during the War in Bosnia, the size and numbers of these incidents committed by Bosnian Serbs were considered larger than those committed by other warring parties.) \u00a0Meanwhile, it seemed that Bosnian Serbs did not understand the contemporary war consists not only of the military action but also of the propaganda activity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Montenegro:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Montenegro is the smallest (13,812\u00a0km<sup>2 <\/sup>or\u00a0 5,019\u00a0sq.\u00a0mi) and newest independent country (independent from the \u201cState Union of Serbia-Montenegro\u201d in 2006) in the former Yugoslavia.\u00a0 The population is 620,000 and GDP per capita is $11,800.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn24\">[24]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Like the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro is amazingly beautiful.\u00a0 However, this small country has been struggling for its survival due to the economic hardship as all other former Yugoslav areas and republics.\u00a0 Therefore, Montenegrins are selling the most beautiful part of their countries.\u00a0 For instance, \u201cSveti Stefan\u201d is now owned by Aman Resorts.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn25\">[25]<\/a> Other beautiful places along the Adriatic coast of Montenegro have reportedly been sold to foreigners.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">By the way, Slobodan Milo\u0161evi\u0107 was a Montenegrin although he lived and worked as a Serb.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn26\">[26]<\/a> Radovan Krad\u017ei\u0107 is also a Montenegrin although he has lived and worked as a Bosnian Serb.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn27\">[27]<\/a> \u00a0Both of them were considered as \u201cSerbs\u201d because of their religion, Orthodox Christianity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Kosova: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In English, it is pronounced \u201cKosovo\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 Koso\u201dva\u201d is the Albanian pronunciation, while \u201cKosovo-metohija\u201d (pronounced \u201cKosovo-metohiya\u201d) is the Serbian pronunciation.\u00a0 For Serbia, Kosovo is important, not only because of the historical reason but also because of the oil refinery and other natural resources in Kosovo.\u00a0 Ask Kosovars if they wish to integrate with Serbs.\u00a0 Such question is out of question for them. \u00a0Which ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, who constitute more than 92% of the total population of Kosovo<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn28\">[28]<\/a>, forget the atrocities by Serbs in 1999 and before?\u00a0 These ethnic Albanians say, \u201cWe forgive what Serbs did to us, but we will never forget what they did to us.\u201d\u00a0 However, the truth is that they have not forgiven Serbs yet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Meanwhile, both their economy and politics are deteriorating.\u00a0 Among two million population of Kosovo, one quarter of them was receiving their pension from Serbia before Kosovo\u2019s independence.\u00a0 Now, the Kosovar government must pay the pension for these people.\u00a0 It is a heavy burden for the government.\u00a0 These pensioners are in a desperate situation now.\u00a0 Kosovo\u2019s GDP per capita is $6,600 \u2013 7,400.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn29\">[29]<\/a> \u00a0Some of these Kosovars say, \u201cWe are aware that we are not capable to rule our country and our people by ourselves.\u00a0 We hope that anyone or any country except Serbs will manage Kosova and rule us.\u201d<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn30\">[30]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Slovenia: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In Slovenia, no serious ethnic problems between ethnic Slovenians and ethnic Bosnians, for instance, have been reported.\u00a0 Those ethnic Bosnians in Slovenia now are those who moved to Slovenia during the 1970s and 1980s from Bosnia.\u00a0 Some of ethnic Bosnians in Slovenia today are the second and third generations born in Slovenia.\u00a0 Slovenia, gained its independence after only ten days of the struggle in 1991,<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn31\">[31]<\/a> is the least problematic country among the former Yugoslav republics.<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><b>3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Destruction of Yugoslavia:<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">It should be necessary to emphasize this again in this context: It was some of the Western countries that planned to destroy Yugoslavia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn32\">[32]<\/a> \u00a0The Western countries were aware that among communist\/socialist countries in Europe, only Yugoslavia would survive after the collapse of the USSR because Yugoslavia was the only socialist country that was out of the umbrella of the USSR. Besides, Yugoslavia had one of the strongest military powers in Europe.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn33\">[33]<\/a> \u00a0If Yugoslavia would survive after the collapse of the USSR and the Eastern European countries, Yugoslavia as the only socialist country with the strong military power in Europe would stand out in front of the Western European countries.\u00a0 Then, Yugoslavia could be a serious threat to the Western countries.\u00a0 Therefore, the goal of the plan of the Western countries was to divide and rule the Balkans upon the collapse of the USSR and the Eastern blocks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Those Western countries implemented the plan into two folds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">First, they demanded Yugoslavia pay the credit of the past thirty years immediately.\u00a0 The Federal government of Yugoslavia, in paying the debt, issued a huge amount of the currency which brought Yugoslavia a grave economic crisis that created a hyper-inflation, estimated more than 20,000%<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn34\">[34]<\/a> (officially some 2,500%) annually in 1989, for instance.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn35\">[35]<\/a> \u00a0People in Yugoslavia bought a piece of bread with a bunch of paper money, then.\u00a0 Many companies in Yugoslavia went bankrupt during that time.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn36\">[36]<\/a> \u00a0At that time, Yugoslavia\u2019s foreign debt was US$18 billion.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn37\">[37]<\/a> Compare: Serbia\u2019s foreign debt in 2010 was $32.2 billion.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn38\">[38]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Second, the Western countries contacted possible future (nationalistic) leaders of each republic of Yugoslavia.\u00a0 By doing as such, the Western countries successfully created the ethnic tension among republics in Yugoslavia. \u00a0They encouraged each republic of Yugoslavia to be independent from the Federal system, while they instructed the Federal government of Yugoslavia to maintain the federal system.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn39\">[39]<\/a> \u00a0Those Western countries said to these republics that Western countries respected the right of self-determination of these republics.\u00a0 On the contrary, the Western countries instructed to the Federal government of Yugoslavia that if the Federal government would successfully maintain the unity of the Federal system, the Western countries would provide Yugoslavia with financial assistance.\u00a0 Accordingly, while republics of Yugoslavia except Serbia tried to be independent from the Federal system, the Federal government was eager to maintain the Federal system.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn40\">[40]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">What was that result?\u00a0 We, who lived at the end of the 20<sup>th<\/sup> Century, all witnessed the outcome of that.\u00a0 Alas, however, some college textbooks of international politics\/relations explain that the cause of the destruction of Yugoslavia was the (traditional) ethnic problems.\u00a0 What the authors of these textbooks understand about the Balkans?\u00a0 Or did they write that way on purpose in order to lead the readers\/students to the authors\u2019 intended direction?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Milo\u0161evi\u0107 knew what Western countries did behind the War in the former Yugoslavia.\u00a0 He died mysteriously in the custody of ICTY.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn41\">[41]<\/a> \u00a0One of the most important witnesses who knew the truth behind the War is no more.\u00a0 Probably, Tu\u0111man of Croatia and Izetvegovi\u0107 of Bosnia also knew the scene\/truth behind the curtain of the War.\u00a0 Both of them also died.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As to Tu\u0111man, prior to his movement for the independence of Croatia from the Yugoslav federal system, he visited Vatican.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn42\">[42]<\/a> \u00a0It was reported then that Pope John Paul II promised his support for the independence of Croatia.\u00a0 During the War in Croatia in 1991, Germany&#8217;s Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Foreign Minister, openly expressed his support for Croatia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn43\">[43]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The combination of Germany, Croatia and Vatican reminds Serbs of the gonocide committed by NDH (= pronounced, \u201cenn-day-hah\u201d, the acronym of \u201cNezavisna Dr\u017eava Hrvatska\u201d in Croatian, or the \u201cIndependent State of Croatia\u201d in English), which was the \u201cCroatian\u201c Nazi puppet regime that controlled the whole Croatia and the substantial part of Bosnia-Hercegovina during World War II), supported by Catholic Church, during WWII.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn44\">[44]<\/a> \u00a0What did Serbs think of the independence of Croatia in 1991 when they knew that Croatia&#8217;s independence movement was supported by Germany and Vatican?<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn45\">[45]<\/a> \u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn46\">[46]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">On the other hand, Croats firmely believed that Yugoslavia had actually been controlled by Serbs because the Capital of Yugoslavia was Belgrade, implying that the substantial portion of the staff members of most of the essential institutions of the federal system of Yugoslavia were Serbs.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn47\">[47]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Tito (Josip Broz) was not very popular in Croatia after WWII, although he was very popular among Serbs.\u00a0 Yugoslavia under Tito did not have a favorable relation with the Vatican. <a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn48\">[48]<\/a> \u00a0The relation was overall tense.\u00a0 In general, he was considered as a Croat.\u00a0 His father was a Croat, and mother, a Slovene.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn49\">[49]<\/a> \u00a0Therefore, it is considered that his parents were Catholic.\u00a0 Tito, however, became a communist activist.\u00a0 Besides, during WWII he was a main member of Partisan, fighting against the Axis Powers, whereas Croatia became a Nazi&#8217;s puppet regime, NDH. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In addition, Croats believe that he was connected, in one way or another, with the Bleiburg Genocide in which allegedly several thousand Croats were forced to march until death in May 1945, near the end of WWII.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn50\">[50]<\/a> \u00a0This was another reason why he was not very popular in Croatia.\u00a0 Some Croats understood that Tito was against Croats, NDH, Nazi Germany and Vatican and that he was for Serbs.\u00a0 When Frajo Tu\u0111man was a General of the Yugoslav People\u2019s Army in 1971, he attempted to carry out a coup against Tito. \u00a0Tu\u0111man intended to lead Croatia to be independent from Tito\u2019s Yugoslavia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn51\">[51]<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Croats and the Vatican (and other Western countries) have seen some shodow of Russia behind Serbia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn52\">[52]<\/a> \u00a0It is obvious that Croats are strongly afraid of Russia even today. For example, <i>Ve\u010dernj List<\/i>, one of the main newspapers in Croatia, recently featured an article, \u201cHow much is our cost for the fear of Russia?\u201d<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn53\">[53]<\/a> \u00a0Ask any Croats, for instance, if they wish to integrate with Serbs.\u00a0 The answer is clear.\u00a0 The Vatican must have been vigilent because both Russia and Serbia are, overall, Orthodx Church countries. \u00a0Meanwhile, Serbs in Serbia point out anti-Serbian sentiments. For instance, <i>Novosti<\/i> \u00a0weekly newspaper recently published a special featured article, \u201cAnti-Serbian hysteria.\u201d<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn54\">[54]<\/a><\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><b>4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Integration of the Balkan Peoples?:<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Who wants the integration of the Balkan\/Balkan peoples?\u00a0 The Balkan peoples or the Western powers?\u00a0 On what level of the integration, whether it is the political level or else?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">On the non-political level, the Balkan peoples are being integrated in some ways.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">An example: Severina Vu\u010dkovi\u0107, a Serbian Croat singer, is very popular both in Croatia and in Serbia.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn55\">[55]<\/a> \u00a0To\u0161e Proeski, a Macedonian singer who died of a traffic accident in 2007, is still incredibly popular almost anywhere in the Balkan.\u00a0 His CDs sell well.\u00a0 This month marks the sixth anniversary of his tragic death.\u00a0 Accordingly, not only Macedonian mass media but also media in other Balkan countries feature Proeski.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn56\">[56]<\/a> \u00a0It may be possible to say that these Balkan pop singers are integrating the Balkan pop music fans through their songs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Another example: Many or most bakeries in the Balkans are owned by ethnic Albanians.\u00a0 Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins, Bosnian Muslims and Macedonians go there to buy bread daily.\u00a0 Most ice cream\/cake caf\u00e9s (= \u201cslatiscarna\u201d, pronounced, \u201cslah-tiss-char-nah\u201d; meaning the place that offers sweets) in the Balkans are also owned by ethnic Albanians.\u00a0 Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins, Bosnian Muslims and Macedonians go there to drink coffee and eat ice cream or cakes daily. \u00a0It may be possible to say that ethnic Albanians\u2019 bakeries and ice cream\/cake caf\u00e9s are integrating the Balkan peoples through their bread, ice cream and cakes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">One more example: Ivica Todori\u0107\u2019s Agrokor<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn57\">[57]<\/a>, one of the biggest supermarket chain companies in Europe<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn58\">[58]<\/a>, has opened Konzum supermarkets and Mercator supermarkets in most part of the former Yugoslav areas but he never opens these supermarkets outside the former Yugoslavia.\u00a0 He knows what the Balkan business actually is. \u00a0That is his business wisdom.\u00a0 It may be possible to say that Todori\u0107 is integrating the Balkan consumers through his supermarket chains.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As such, through Balkan pop singers, through ethnic Albanian shops\u2019 bread, ice cream and cakes, and through Agrokor\u2019s supermarket chains (plus some other relevant businesses in the Balkans), the Balkan peoples are being integrated but their integration is never and will never be on the higher political level in the foreseeable future.\u00a0 That may be sure at least in the next several decades.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In that regard, there is a question: Given that situation, what level of integration of the Balkan is Prof. Galtung contemplating?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Besides, as mentioned above, the Western powers have tried to divide and rule the Balkan peoples. It is highly probable that the Western powers will never accept the integration of the Balkan peoples because the West knows that the integration of the Balkan peoples creates a regional power.\u00a0 The Western powers will surely destroy any potential seed of such integration. \u00a0Let us recall again: It was the Western powers that destroyed \u201cYugoslavia\u201d (= \u201dyugo-slav-ia\u201d, meaning \u201cSouth Slav peoples\u2019 place\/country) from the backdoor.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In that regard, there is another question: If Prof. Galtung suggests the integration of the Balkan, what is his plan to deal with the Western countries in his promotion of the Balkan integration?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As mentioned in the beginning of this comment, the Balkan is the area where the Western and Eastern Roman Empires split.\u00a0 The Balkan is the area where the Hapsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire had met and clashed against each other until World War I. The Balkan is the area where the Abrahamic religions &#8212;Judaism, Orthodox, Catholic and Islam &#8212; have met and clashed over the centuries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">There are two ironies in that context.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>First: World War I began in Sarajevo where all those Abrahamic religions, and both the Hapsburg culture and the Ottoman culture, coexisted without any problem.<\/li>\n<li>Second: Regardless of World War I, all ethnic groups, cultures and religions in Sarajevo (and almost any part of the Balkan) remained coexisted.\u00a0 Until the commencement of the Bosnian War in 1992, Sarajevo was regarded as the inter-cultural and inter-religious center of the Balkans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Unfortunately, the wars in the Balkans during the 1990s destroyed all that. What the wars in the Balkans during the 1990s created were permanent fear, hatred and distrust among those peoples. \u00a0Since then, \u201cSouth Slave peoples\u2019 place\/country\u201d has been divided into pieces, many of which are tiny republics whose economies are now rushing toward catastrophe.\u00a0 Local companies, including financial institutions, and land in these republics are being sold to Western companies.\u00a0 Millions of peoples in the Balkan are still deeply suffering and hate each other.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Western powers have kept the Balkan divided to this day. The Dayton Agreement is the symbolic icon for that. The Western Powers\u2019 tacit message for the Balkan seems like this: \u201cThe Western policy of divide and rule over the Balkan makes the Balkan peaceful.\u201d<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn59\">[59]<\/a><\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><b>5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Conclusion \u2013 the Bottom Line for the Balkan Peoples:<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Western powers have attempted to disintegrate the Balkan peoples. \u00a0On the other hand, Prof. Galtung is encouraging them to integrate.\u00a0 Although the directions are opposite, both the Western powers and Prof. Galtung are intervening into the Balkan peoples\u2019 decision for their future in one way or another.\u00a0 The main difference between the Western powers and Prof. Galtung is that the Western powers are doing as such for their own interest, while Prof. Galtung is doing so with his good will and wisdom.\u00a0 Nonetheless, however, both of them are outsiders, not the Balkan peoples.\u00a0 The Balkan peoples have their own wisdom and experience to decide what to do for their future.\u00a0 Let them decide by themselves what to do.\u00a0 They know when to integrate, when to disintegrate and when to re-integrate.\u00a0 Why do they need outsiders\u2019 intervention in making their own decision?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Think the other way around:\u00a0 Neither the Western powers nor Prof. Galtung needs the Balkan peoples\u2019 intervention when the Western powers or Prof. Galtung makes a decision on their own future.\u00a0 Both the Western powers and Prof. Galtung are wise enough for making a decision on their future.\u00a0\u00a0 No intervention from outsiders is necessary for them.\u00a0 The same thing can be said of the Balkan peoples.\u00a0 These peoples need no outsider\u2019s intervention in making the decision on their future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Therefore, the bottom line, which is also the conclusion of this comment, is that the Balkan peoples\u2019 right of self-determination should be respected as far as that right is peacefully, legitimately and democratically exercised. \u00a0If they need something for their future from any outsider, provide them with some advice on how to exercise their right of self-determination peacefully, legitimately and democratically.\u00a0 Perhaps, that kind of advice is what they need from outsiders who have good will and wisdom.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Other than that, no intervention from outsiders may be necessary for the Balkan peoples.\u00a0 Let them decide what to do, whether they will stay disintegrated permanently, they will integrate soon, they will integrate someday in the far distant future but not in the foreseeable future, or what else.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>NOTES:<\/b><\/p>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref1\">[1]<\/a> The State called \u201cYugoslavia\u201d existed five times.\u00a0 The first one was the \u201cKingdom of Yugoslavia\u201d from 1918-1943; the second one was the \u201cDemocratic Federal Yugoslavia\u201d from 1943 \u2013 1946; the third one was the \u201cFederal People\u2019s Republic of Yugoslavia\u201d from 1946-1963; the fourth one was the \u201cSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia\u201d from 1963 \u2013 1991; and the fifth one was the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992- 2003.\u00a0 (In 2003, the fifth one was renamed as the \u201cState Union of Serbia and Montenegro\u201d that lasted until 2006.)\u00a0 In most cases, however, those Yugoslavias that existed from 1943 \u2013 1991 are called the \u201csecond Yugoslavia\u201d or \u201cTito\u2019s Yugoslavia\u201d.\u00a0 Usually, this second Yugoslavia is also referred as the \u201cSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia\u201d.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref2\">[2]<\/a> For information on Zemun, see, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zemun\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zemun<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.serbia.com\/zemun\/\" >http:\/\/www.serbia.com\/zemun\/<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref3\">[3]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.un.org\/Depts\/DPKO\/Missions\/untaes_b.htm\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.un.org\/Depts\/DPKO\/Missions\/untaes_b.htm<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref4\">[4]<\/a> On 1 May 1995, the Croatian Army attacked the UNPA West (Western Slavonia, Croatia) and regained the territory from Serbian Croats in two days.\u00a0 This military operation was called, \u201cOperation Flash\u201d in English, \u201cOperacija Bljesak\u201d in Croatian.\u00a0 See <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_Flash\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_Flash<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hr\/croatia\/history\/homeland-war\/action-flash\" >http:\/\/www.hr\/croatia\/history\/homeland-war\/action-flash<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/armyphotos.net\/croatian-artillery-opens-fire-operation-flash-1995\/\" >http:\/\/armyphotos.net\/croatian-artillery-opens-fire-operation-flash-1995\/<\/a> . On 4 August 1995, the Croatian Army invaded the UNPAs North (the area that encompasses a part of Kordun and a part of Banovina) and South (the Krajina area) and regained these areas from ethnic Serbian Croats in one day. This military campaign was called, \u201cOperation Storm\u201d in English, \u201cOperacija Oluja\u201d in Croatian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref5\">[5]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_the_Republic_of_Macedonia\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_the_Republic_of_Macedonia<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref6\">[6]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/samvak.tripod.com\/pp85.html\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/samvak.tripod.com\/pp85.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref7\">[7]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/04\/16\/world\/europe\/killings-heighten-ethnic-tensions-in-macedonia.html?_r=0\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/04\/16\/world\/europe\/killings-heighten-ethnic-tensions-in-macedonia.html?_r=0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref8\">[8]<\/a> <i>The Economist Pocket World in Figures<\/i> 2013 Edition, The Economist Company Ltd., London, 2012, p. 59.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref9\">[9]<\/a> For example, <a href=\"http:\/\/friendsofkosovo.com\/2012\/04\/18\/threats-of-albanian-army-to-skopje-government\/\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/friendsofkosovo.com\/2012\/04\/18\/threats-of-albanian-army-to-skopje-government\/<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref10\">[10]<\/a> Some people claim that \u201cthe KLA does not exist\u201d.\u00a0 What does it really mean?\u00a0 Compare: Japan, for instance, \u201cofficially\u201d disbanded its military forces after WWII and, then, created the \u201cSelf Defense Forces\u201d (named, the \u201cNational Police Reserve,\u201d at the time of creation), whose \u201cdefense\u201d (not military) budget today is No. 5th in the world. See, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/world.time.com\/2013\/09\/02\/why-japans-first-defense-spend-hike-in-over-two-decades-isnt-going-to-buy-much\/\" >http:\/\/world.time.com\/2013\/09\/02\/why-japans-first-defense-spend-hike-in-over-two-decades-isnt-going-to-buy-much\/<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces<\/a> .\u00a0 In addition, some officials who created NPR\/SDF were the same officials of the Japanese military forces of WWII.\u00a0 Does it mean that the Japanese military forces do not exist?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref11\">[11]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Insurgency_in_the_Republic_of_Macedonia\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Insurgency_in_the_Republic_of_Macedonia<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref12\">[12]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/europe\/macedonia\/1328328\/Macedonia-begins-new-assault-on-Albanians.html\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/europe\/macedonia\/1328328\/Macedonia-begins-new-assault-on-Albanians.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref13\">[13]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.freerepublic.com\/focus\/f-news\/688365\/posts\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.freerepublic.com\/focus\/f-news\/688365\/posts<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref14\">[14]<\/a> Serbia\u2019s B92 (not major international mass media) reports this: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.b92.net\/eng\/news\/region.php?yyyy=2012&amp;mm=04&amp;dd=17&amp;nav_id=79817\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.b92.net\/eng\/news\/region.php?yyyy=2012&amp;mm=04&amp;dd=17&amp;nav_id=79817<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref15\">[15]<\/a> For the Dayton Agreement, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohr.int\/dpa\/default.asp?content_id=380\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.ohr.int\/dpa\/default.asp?content_id=380<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www1.umn.edu\/humanrts\/icty\/dayton\/daytonsum.html\" >http:\/\/www1.umn.edu\/humanrts\/icty\/dayton\/daytonsum.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref16\">[16]<\/a> The author witnessed it a few times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref17\">[17]<\/a> The author heard it from various kinds of local peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref18\">[18]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_convertible_mark\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_convertible_mark<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref19\">[19]<\/a> See \u2018Bez ustavnih reformi BiH ne mo\u017ee u NATO\u2019, <i>24 SATA<\/i> newspaper, 14 October 2013, p.53, Zagreb.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref20\">[20]<\/a> Serbia\u2019s brain drain rate as of 2011 is 1.7 which is the world number 3rd highest. (Source: Op.cit. <i>The Economist Pocket World, <\/i>2013, p. 62.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref21\">[21]<\/a> See <i>Sensou Koukoku Dairiten<\/i> (<i>War Advertisement Agency<\/i>), by Toru Takagi, published by Kodansha, Tokyo, Japan, 2005.\u00a0 For more about Ruder Finn, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ruder_Finn\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ruder_Finn<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ruderfinn.com\/\" >http:\/\/www.ruderfinn.com\/<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref22\">[22]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iacenter.org\/bosnia\/lituchy.htm\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.iacenter.org\/bosnia\/lituchy.htm<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref23\">[23]<\/a> Should Ruder Finn be convicted war crimes for its role in Bosnia against the Serbs? <a href=\"http:\/\/answers.yahoo.com\/question\/index?qid=20071012045313AACYUAw\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/answers.yahoo.com\/question\/index?qid=20071012045313AACYUAw<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref24\">[24]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Montenegro\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Montenegro<\/a> . Accessed 17 October 2013.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref25\">[25]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sveti_Stefan\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sveti_Stefan<\/a> . Accessed 19 October 2013.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref26\">[26]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slobodan_Milosevic#Early_life\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slobodan_Milosevic#Early_life<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref27\">[27]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radovan_Karad%C5%BEi%C4%87#Early_life\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radovan_Karad%C5%BEi%C4%87#Early_life<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref28\">[28]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kosovo\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kosovo<\/a>\u00a0 Accessed 17 October 2013.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref29\">[29]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kosovo\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kosovo<\/a>\u00a0 Accessed 17 October 2013.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref30\">[30]<\/a> Some ethnic Albanian Kosovars told the author.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref31\">[31]<\/a> See <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Independence_of_Slovenia\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Independence_of_Slovenia<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.local-life.com\/ljubljana\/articles\/ten-day-war\" >http:\/\/www.local-life.com\/ljubljana\/articles\/ten-day-war<\/a>\u00a0 and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.squidoo.com\/independence-of-slovenia\" >http:\/\/www.squidoo.com\/independence-of-slovenia<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref32\">[32]<\/a> See, for instance, in case of Bosnia, <a href=\"http:\/\/rastko.rs\/istorija\/iii\/cksavich-originsofwar.html\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/rastko.rs\/istorija\/iii\/cksavich-originsofwar.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref33\">[33]<\/a> For the Yugoslav People\u2019s Army, visit, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yugoslav_People%27s_Army\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yugoslav_People%27s_Army<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.factualworld.com\/article\/Yugoslav_Peoples_Army\" >http:\/\/www.factualworld.com\/article\/Yugoslav_Peoples_Army<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/654682\/Yugoslav-Peoples-Army\" >http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/654682\/Yugoslav-Peoples-Army<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/elektron.tmf.bg.ac.rs\/bojan\/JNA%20OOB%20new.pdf\" >http:\/\/elektron.tmf.bg.ac.rs\/bojan\/JNA%20OOB%20new.pdf<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref34\">[34]<\/a> Estimation by the US Embassy to (the then) Yugoslavia in 1990.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref35\">[35]<\/a> For the inflation of Yugoslavia, see, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1989\/02\/07\/business\/yugoslavia-inflation-up.html\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1989\/02\/07\/business\/yugoslavia-inflation-up.html<\/a>\u00a0 ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theodora.com\/wfb1989\/yugoslavia\/yugoslavia_economy.html\" >http:\/\/www.theodora.com\/wfb1989\/yugoslavia\/yugoslavia_economy.html<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hyperinflation\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hyperinflation<\/a> ; and\u00a0 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/ideas.repec.org\/a\/eee\/jmacro\/v15y1993i3p455-481.html\" >http:\/\/ideas.repec.org\/a\/eee\/jmacro\/v15y1993i3p455-481.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref36\">[36]<\/a> For the economy of Yugoslavia, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Economy_of_SFR_Yugoslavia\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Economy_of_SFR_Yugoslavia<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/1989\/items\/show\/671\" >http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/1989\/items\/show\/671<\/a> ;\u00a0 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.scoopweb.com\/Economy_of_the_Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia\" >http:\/\/www.scoopweb.com\/Economy_of_the_Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia<\/a>\u00a0 and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/1989\/exhibits\/collapse\/essay\" >http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/1989\/exhibits\/collapse\/essay<\/a>\u00a0 .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref37\">[37]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mongabay.com\/history\/yugoslavia\/yugoslavia-the_economy.html\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.mongabay.com\/history\/yugoslavia\/yugoslavia-the_economy.html<\/a> . Also see <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Economy_of_SFR_Yugoslavia\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Economy_of_SFR_Yugoslavia<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref38\">[38]<\/a> Op.cit. <i>The Economist Pocket World <\/i>2013, p.42.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref39\">[39]<\/a> See, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/jurist.org\/dateline\/2012\/06\/ivan-milosevic-yugoslavia-eu.php\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/jurist.org\/dateline\/2012\/06\/ivan-milosevic-yugoslavia-eu.php<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/discover\/10.2307\/2203972?uid=3738200&amp;uid=2133&amp;uid=2&amp;uid=70&amp;uid=4&amp;sid=21102793223973\" >http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/discover\/10.2307\/2203972?uid=3738200&amp;uid=2133&amp;uid=2&amp;uid=70&amp;uid=4&amp;sid=21102793223973<\/a> ;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref40\">[40]<\/a> For the final days of Yugoslavia, see, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.globalsecurity.org\/military\/world\/serbia\/yu-06.htm\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.globalsecurity.org\/military\/world\/serbia\/yu-06.htm<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.factualworld.com\/article\/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia\" >http:\/\/www.factualworld.com\/article\/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theodora.com\/wfb1990\/yugoslavia\/yugoslavia_government.html\" >http:\/\/www.theodora.com\/wfb1990\/yugoslavia\/yugoslavia_government.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref41\">[41]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/id\/11777120\/ns\/world_news-europe\/t\/slobodan-milosevic-found-dead-prison-cell\/#.UmFCyRBBg2w\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/id\/11777120\/ns\/world_news-europe\/t\/slobodan-milosevic-found-dead-prison-cell\/#.UmFCyRBBg2w<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/nsnbc.me\/2013\/03\/14\/death-of-president-slobodan-milosevic-in-nato-prison-remains-a-central-question-in-international-justice\/\" >http:\/\/nsnbc.me\/2013\/03\/14\/death-of-president-slobodan-milosevic-in-nato-prison-remains-a-central-question-in-international-justice\/<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/query.nytimes.com\/gst\/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0D81031F937A25750C0A9609C8B63http:\/\/query.nytimes.com\/gst\/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0D81031F937A25750C0A9609C8B63\" >http:\/\/query.nytimes.com\/gst\/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0D81031F937A25750C0A9609C8B63http:\/\/query.nytimes.com\/gst\/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0D81031F937A25750C0A9609C8B63<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref42\">[42]<\/a> For the relation between Croatia and Vatican, see, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/alex-sakalis\/most-catholic-country-in-europe-croatia-and-catholic-church\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/alex-sakalis\/most-catholic-country-in-europe-croatia-and-catholic-church<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Franjo_Tu%C4%91man\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Franjo_Tu%C4%91man<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/holy_father\/john_paul_ii\/speeches\/1998\/october\/documents\/hf_jp-ii_spe_19981012_ambassador-croatia_en.html\" >http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/holy_father\/john_paul_ii\/speeches\/1998\/october\/documents\/hf_jp-ii_spe_19981012_ambassador-croatia_en.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref43\">[43]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dw.de\/recognizing-slovenia-croatia-brought-peace-genscher-says\/a-15182463\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/www.dw.de\/recognizing-slovenia-croatia-brought-peace-genscher-says\/a-15182463<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hans-Dietrich_Genscher\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hans-Dietrich_Genscher<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Talk:Croatia%E2%80%93Germany_relations\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Talk:Croatia%E2%80%93Germany_relations<\/a> ; and\u00a0 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1991\/08\/26\/world\/new-croatia-strife-after-bonn-warning.html\" >http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1991\/08\/26\/world\/new-croatia-strife-after-bonn-warning.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref44\">[44]<\/a> For more about NDH or the Independent State of Croatia, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Independent_State_of_Croatia\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Independent_State_of_Croatia<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Government_of_the_Independent_State_of_Croatia\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Government_of_the_Independent_State_of_Croatia<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/202210\/fascism\/219386\/Sexism-and-misogyny#toc219388\" >http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/202210\/fascism\/219386\/Sexism-and-misogyny#toc219388<\/a> and\/or <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/desertwar.net\/independent-state-of-croatia.html\" >http:\/\/desertwar.net\/independent-state-of-croatia.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref45\">[45]<\/a> For Vatican\/Catholic and the Independent State of Croatia, see, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/paulonpius.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/pavelic-croatia-and-vatican.html\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/paulonpius.blogspot.com\/2012\/01\/pavelic-croatia-and-vatican.html<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/serbianna.com\/analysis\/archives\/1182\" >http:\/\/serbianna.com\/analysis\/archives\/1182<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Relations_between_the_Roman_Catholic_Church_and_the_Independent_State_of_Croatia\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Relations_between_the_Roman_Catholic_Church_and_the_Independent_State_of_Croatia<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref46\">[46]<\/a> One of the reasons why ethnic Serbs in Croatia were afraid of Tu\u0111man&#8217;s independent movement was that he provoked them to rebel against the Croatian authorities.\u00a0 For instance, it was the Croaitan authorities that began the War in Croatia.\u00a0 The Croatian authorites sent special police forces in 1990 to the Krajina area whose ethnic majority was ethnic Serbs. Till then, these Serbs had been peacefully living in the region.\u00a0 For more relevant information on how the War in Croatia began, see, for instance, \u201cTudjman\u2019s Police Minister Admits Croatia Started the War by Attacking Serbs\u201d,\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/de-construct.net\/e-zine\/?p=4869\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/de-construct.net\/e-zine\/?p=4869<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref47\">[47]<\/a> The author heard that from a number of Croats, regardless of their social classes or statuses, from government officials, company executives, to common workers, to retired people. It is debatable whether a substantial number of the Federal government officials was Serbs.\u00a0 The point is, however, that Croats in general believed that the Federal government was managed in favor of Serbs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref48\">[48]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.catholicherald.co.uk\/article\/9th-february-1951\/4\/relations-with-tito\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/archive.catholicherald.co.uk\/article\/9th-february-1951\/4\/relations-with-tito<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref49\">[49]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Josip_Broz_Tito#Early_life\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Josip_Broz_Tito#Early_life<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref50\">[50]<\/a> For the Bleiburg Genocide, see, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bleiburg_massacre\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bleiburg_massacre<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/northerntruthseeker.blogspot.com\/2012\/09\/more-hidden-history-revealed-bleiburg.html\" >http:\/\/northerntruthseeker.blogspot.com\/2012\/09\/more-hidden-history-revealed-bleiburg.html<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/forum.axishistory.com\/viewtopic.php?t=118870\" >http:\/\/forum.axishistory.com\/viewtopic.php?t=118870<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref51\">[51]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Franjo_Tu%C4%91man\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Franjo_Tu%C4%91man<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref52\">[52]<\/a> For the relation between Serbia and Russia, visit, for instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia%E2%80%93Serbia_relations\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia%E2%80%93Serbia_relations<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.helsinki.org.rs\/doc\/HB-No93.pdf\" >http:\/\/www.helsinki.org.rs\/doc\/HB-No93.pdf<\/a> ;\u00a0 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/voiceofrussia.com\/2013_04_10\/Russia-and-Serbia-have-privileged-relations-Medvedev\/\" >http:\/\/voiceofrussia.com\/2013_04_10\/Russia-and-Serbia-have-privileged-relations-Medvedev\/<\/a> ; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/net.lib.byu.edu\/~rdh7\/wwi\/comment\/sovserb.htm\" >http:\/\/net.lib.byu.edu\/~rdh7\/wwi\/comment\/sovserb.htm<\/a> ; and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.b92.net\/eng\/news\/politics.php?yyyy=2011&amp;mm=10&amp;dd=12&amp;nav_id=76812\" >http:\/\/www.b92.net\/eng\/news\/politics.php?yyyy=2011&amp;mm=10&amp;dd=12&amp;nav_id=76812<\/a>\u00a0 .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref53\">[53]<\/a> <i>Ve<\/i><i>\u010derna List<\/i>, 19 October 2013, Zagreb, pp. 16 \u2013 19.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref54\">[54]<\/a> See \u2018Antisrpska histerija,\u2019 <i>Novosti,<\/i> 18 October 2013, Zagreb, pp.1-16.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref55\">[55]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Severina_Vu%C4%8Dkovi%C4%87\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Severina_Vu%C4%8Dkovi%C4%87<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref56\">[56]<\/a> For example, <i>24 SATA<\/i> newspaper, Zagreb, 19 October 2013, featured Proeski and his death. See pp.4-5 of the newspaper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref57\">[57]<\/a> Ivica Todori\u0107, Croat, is one of the most successful businessmen in the Balkans. <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ivica_Todori%C4%87\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ivica_Todori%C4%87<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/investing.businessweek.com\/research\/stocks\/private\/person.asp?personId=24453640&amp;privcapId=5491790\" >http:\/\/investing.businessweek.com\/research\/stocks\/private\/person.asp?personId=24453640&amp;privcapId=5491790<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#_ednref58\">[58]<\/a> For more about Agrokor, see <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Agrokor\" title=\"\" >http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Agrokor<\/a> . Agrokor\u2019s website: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.agrokor.hr\/en-GB\/Naslovnica.html\" >http:\/\/www.agrokor.hr\/en-GB\/Naslovnica.html<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref59\">[59]<\/a> By the Dayton Agreement, Bosnia-Herzegovina has permanently been divided. The purpose of the Dayton Agreement is not only to bring about the War in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Recall the fact that Bosnia-Herzegovina was the area in which Judaism, Orthodox Christianity and Catholic had coexisted until 1992.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the convenience of the arguments in this comment, allow me to briefly describe (but not comprehensively) some aspects of the Balkan areas, together with some background information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-transcend-members"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35209\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}