The Official Story

The non and promises to last very long, and nobody will be able to determine the exact date when it will end. On the other hand, it is being announced that a lasting ceasefire could be agreed on these days. Allegedly, the Bihac episode has finally convinced the Americans of the superiority of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic's army and NATO's inferiority in changing the balance of power through air strikes. Washington is prepared to agree with the Europeans that nothing can be achieved by force in Bosnia. That is, unless your name isn't General Ratko Mladic and you're not the Bosnian Serb Army Commander.

In America, they can't hide the fact that the issue concerns an embarrassing defeat, but in the Bosnian war all that was any good has been defeated so far; so there is no reason why things should be different with America. Washington allegedly yielded when it became clear that European resistance threatened to cause a rift in NATO. They have therefore decided to save this sclerotic multinational alliance instead of offering Mladic a job.

How different from the war of fifty years ago! Then a multinational army here defeated all national formations and stood up against a Nazi superpower, while today the most powerful multinational army doesn't know how to stop an instance of local fascism. Some will say that it could, but that it doesn't want to. The spirit of the times have changed to such an extent that Mladic dares stand up against the Western alliance and think that justice is on his side, while NATO obviously lacks such self-confidence.

But if the West has really reached an agreement that it is not interested in Bosnia and that it is not necessary to defend any principles there, then they will soon discover that they are at the beginning of the road and that they will swallow many more humiliating slaps in the face. If they think they have debased themselves greatly by mumbling that Karadzic can enter a confederation with Milosevic, then they will be surprised to hear that nobody in Pale (Bosnian Serb political center) is celebrating.

At a rate of, shall we say every two weeks, new conditions would be set, as Karadzic has already done: a passage to the sea, half of Sarajevo, international recognition... In the end, he might demand that, as an apology for all of the injustice incurred so far, the European Union's headquarters be transferred to Banja Luka and those of the UN to Pale. That way there would be no more misunderstandings on where to meet with Boutros Boutros Ghali.

For those of us here in Yugoslavia, no matter how long it may last, this war is quickly passing into history. And while the national opposition is doing its utmost to keep it on the daily agenda, the regime is not wasting time and is beginning to draft its version of our recent past.

As everybody knows, the authorities remain in power here mostly with the help of history. Historical arguments usually carry more weight than what happening today or could happen tomorrow. This is why the job of drafting an official version is considered especially important. The legitimacy and longevity of the authorities, especially after chaos, war and the collapse of civilization, depend to a large extent on how the story will be told and how successfully the official version will be promoted.

The media were given their tasks at the very beginning, but this covered daily and weekly tasks, i.e. working versions, which suffered hasty changes and finishing touches. Most of these working versions did not have any historical pretensions - they were topical nonsense which could be sold immediately and forgotten two days later, only to be replaced by something new. Apart from this, their object was to inflame, instigate and maintain the war, while the time has come for a subsequent description and explanation of how we won the war.

These two tasks - the making of propaganda and history, are similar only at a superficial level, in that they prove that we are right and show our opponents to be evil and treacherous. But there are many contradictions here and, in order that the historical version might look authentic, it will be seen that it is necessary to reject and conceal many of the greatest propaganda victories since they reveal our guilt and the initiative that originated here.

Also, some of the most ardent and most deserving agitators now wish to become respectable citizens, so it would be desirable to omit their names whenever possible and not quote their old statements. There are few who would wish to be remembered as having discovered an international conspiracy aimed at destroying the Serbs three hundred years ago. Few wish to be among the authors of the theories on the necessity of genocide, revenge, of the Serbs' historical rights and the historical guilt of all others...

In order to survive, the official version will have to pay great attention to dates, because it will be necessary from time to time to gloss over the sequence of events in order to be able to conclude that only Milosevic reacted to some moves by the other side, and not vice versa. For example, it is not a good thing if it comes out that the Serbs first proclaimed the Bosnian Serb Republic in Bosnia, and that the referendum on Bosnia's independence was scheduled later and it was then recognized. It is not a good thing if the truth is told about how the Serbs in Croatia were incited, intimidated and organized before Croatian President Franjo Tudjman came to power. I would say that there is a tendency to treat these difficulties in a stupid and arrogant manner, as was done with the kidnapping of the group of Muslims off the train (incident on Serbian-Bosnian border that occurred in early 1993). The authorities considered admittance that they had disappeared to be a sufficient gesture of good will. It was even said that an investigation had been launched, so the relatives and public can now also show some good will and stop asking questions. What I want to say is that none here invest any intellectual effort in official explanations; no one makes an effort to convince you of anything; they just tell you what you're supposed to think and believe, if you're a loyal citizen or good Serb.

It is not a good thing when the authorities are forced to rely on history and have to write the official version. This isn't good for history and it's even worse for the nation to which it is happening, because this is evidence that the nation is not free. You can't palm off any old history on a free nation and force the people to live with lies. But, at the very start of this war, and even a bit earlier, it should have been clear that an official Serbian version would have to be written and that it would be an insult to intelligence and reason. This undertaking led into slavery, i.e. it offered the possibility of renewing and consolidating slavery.

Finally, some kind of an official version here should be written not only by Milosevic, but by anybody in his place. But, it is of course very difficult when one has to write for him and to his measure and taste. Because it means that one has to explain concisely and logically that the Germans are guilty for the war, and then the Americans and finally Karadzic. Then, since Milosevic no longer wants to be a nationalist, it is necessary to show how he tried to save the former Yugoslavia, which was broken up by nationalists and separatists. But, since he doesn't wish to be a loser, it must be clear that the issue concerns the renewal of Yugoslavia, while the Serbs outside of Serbia are protected and equal.

Milosevic needs a history which will show that he is innocent and that he achieved all he set out to do, and that this is why he should remain where he is. Such a history can be written only by someone of confidence. It is also necessary to prevent the appearance of parallel versions. Finally, it would be desirable if the official version were to be put together in such a way that it endures, foresees and adapts to all possible future changes and turnabouts, so that new school books need not be written every year.