New Counselors and Old Dispersions

Last year, at the beginning of the NATO air campaign, the replaced commander of the Second Army of VJ (the Yugoslav Army), general Radoslav Martinovic was appointed a counselor for defence and security of Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic, and it has officially been stated that the former chief of staff of the Security Department of VJ Headquarters Nedeljko Boskovic was elected counselor to the minister of internal affairs Vukasin Marasa for relationships with VJ. Even before announcing the engagement of these generals, a story was spread that a great number of VJ officers seek engagement in the Montenegro police. Prime Minister of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic answered to the press that 'it is quite natural to engage a man with experience and high rank to the office of counselor of defence and security', and that it should be a 'man who is capable of giving a good advice and enabling a good communication with the army, as well as to take part in that communication'. Vujanovic thus elucidated the appointment of general Radoslav Martinovic, adding that neither that, nor other engagements should be given any spectacular meaning, since 'it is about  the appointment of people with experience and knowledge, and their advices will be significant for establishing good and professional communication with the army'.

Our conversationalist, close to the President of Montenegro, but who insisted on anonymity, said that President Djukanovic has always had his own security counselor, and that a counselor of defence was added to the list - general Grahovac. This man is capable of creating a good communication with the army, and of counseling and talking with the VJ commanders, but he is also particularly important for the defence of Montenegro.

The aforementioned generals are severely criticised by the media in Montenegro close to President Milosevic. The parties of the ruling coalition in Serbia and the opposition in Montenegro, which support Milosevis's regime, are attempting to attribute all failures of the army to the recently replaced officers, with the demand that the system of defence in Yugoslavia should constantly be cleansed. In that sense, after a request from Belgrade, a commander of the Federal Department of Defence in Montenegro has given notices of dismissal to all those who do not belong to SNP (the Socialist National Party) or other parties of the ruling coalition in Serbia. The officers, who had been blamed for inadequate responses to NATO air strikes during the war, were also exposed to similar accusations. One of the criticised is now the former commander of the Second Army Radoslav Martinovic, who had been replaced at that time. In a recent public appearance general Martinovic explained that he had been replaced owing to a regular communication with the President of Montenegro. That replacement caused wonderment in Montenegro, because Martinovic was known as a well educated and capable man. His political opponents now assert that the actual Federal Minister of Defence general Dragoljub Ojdanic still preserves the text on military forces of the 21st century by some American theorist, but which was allegedly signed by Martinovic as his own in the journal 'Vojska'. Even more valuable is the denial of profile of general Nedeljko Boskovic, whereas for general Grahovac it was said that he could not allow to be overshadowed by inferior officers.

The already mentioned conversationalist of VREME says that Blagoje Grahovac was one of Tito's cadets and that, during the period of his education, he had the highest possible grades. It can be understood why the actual military authorities are trying to discredit such respected officers, since, as our interviewee claims, the military authorities are endeavouring to conceal the essence of dispersal within the VJ Headquarters, which has many replaced officers as a consequence. It is about a strategically oriented break up, because it is familiar that Momcilo Perisic, the former chief of staff of the VJ Headquarters, stated that we should have moved towards the NATO pact, and he was supported by a number of officers 'realists' who understood well that Yugoslavia was surrounded by NATO - said our interviewee.

The same interviewee confirms that the arrival of several more officers could soon be expected. And to the question whether is about the creation of the army of Montenegro, he says - 'no'. Every story about the Montenegro army is meaningless until it becomes an independent state, and that independence can only be reached by means of a referendum.

The overall impression is that everything remains open. The counselors are there, just as a problematic relationship between the Government of Montenegro and VJ. These days, the army performed some practices in Montenegro, an so did the police - they keep an eye on each other. The commander of the Second Army Milorad Obradovic is still faithful to his attitude that he has nothing to negotiate with Milo Djukanovic, because whatever order comes from Belgrade is legal and constitutional. Djukanovic, however, says that all officers who caused damages to Montenegro and its citizens during the NATO air strikes, will have to stand before the court and pay for their illegal behaviour. If there is any chance of improvement within the federation between Serbia and Montenegro, it is more than clear that the actual personnel of the VJ Headquarters and the Second Army cannot count on the official vote of Montenegro. It is a question how many more officers will be replaced by that time, particularly those who cannot reconcile with the fact that the sergeant first class in the seventh battalion of military police has a higher salary than a colonel of the regular military forces.